She Who Lies
by Babiip
Summary: A meeting. A favour. And a stream of lies. What would this job offer lead to? How would it end? AU Ichihime.
1. The Girl Who Lies

Hey y'all! *waves and smiles* Thanks for giving this story a chance! This is an AU fic, meaning alternate universe, and I apologise first if the characters were OOC. Specifically, Orihime would seem a bit OOC in the beginning, but it would be explained later. Well, I got the idea from a Korean drama series which I really liked, but I would be changing the sequences! This is an Ichihime fic, people, so if you don't like Ichihime, don't get angry!

This first chapter is dedicated to **copperheadfightingninja**! She is such a darling! She gave me so much encouragement! Seriously, people, you would not realize how long her account name is without typing it! Go check out her stories if you haven't, cuz she's AMAZING! And I did not just say that because I am her beta!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach, which is probably a good thing, or it would be horribly drawn!

* * *

"We're gonna be late!" yelled a passengers on the coach, as it swayed from side to side. The coach was zooming on the road, overtaking every other vehicle it came across, which caused the long vehicle to swing from side to side, which made the passengers within even more nervous.

Inside the long, large vehicle, all thirty passengers were sweating profusely, nervousness written across their faces. Most were praying and panicking at the same time. Every time someone looked at his/her watch, all passengers would scream, "We'll miss the flight!" Every time the coach swayed from side to side, all passengers would scream, "We're gonna die!" Every time a piece of luggage fell from the shelves, all passengers would gasp in horror. If there were a "Most chaotic scene of all times" competition, this would have come first. "We're gonna be late for our flight!" yelled another man, who was sitting next to a wman who was breathing through a paper bag.

"Everyone, please calm down!" shouted the driver. He had shoulder-length brown hair, and his grey eyes sparkled with desperation, as his bangs fell between his eyes. He shouted again, "Please have faith in our local guide, my sister! She would definitely stall for us!" Speeding at 120 km/h, and negating all the street lights, he silently wished, _Orihime, please do your best._

* * *

"Where are they?"Meanwhile, at Karakura Airport, tapping her heel worriedly on the floor, an auburn haired beauty murmured in frustration. "They were supposed to check-in 30 minutes ago!"

A monotonous voice called out,"This is the last call for the flight JA-767 to Tokyo. All passengers please take notice."

Orihime gasped at the broadcast. Just where were her brother and the customers? If the passengers miss their flight, it would be bad for their travel agency's reputation! Whipping her head around, Orihime tried to catch a glimpse of them. Seeing none, she gave out a frustrated sigh, and began running towards the departure gates.

Suddenly, she fell down on her knees, and began wailing. Two air stewardesses who were just passing instantly dashed to her side, and asked "What's wrong?"

Orihime pretended to hiccup, and answered unsteadily, "Darling… He left us -hiccup- for Tokyo! He left us.. Me and his baby!" While choking out these words, Orihime crawled her way to a counter, and latched herself firmly on it. "Please! I just want to see him once more! Just once more before I die! Please!" begged Orihime, as the chief of the airport arrived at the scene.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo was in a poor mood. His eyebrows were furrowed together in annoyance and aggravation, and the scowl on his face was scary enough to drive away even the fiercest of savage animals. He scratched his scalp below his orange hair, with so much force that he scratched off a few hairs already. However, he had all the reasons in the world to back his anger up

His flight still hadn't taken off twenty minutes after the scheduled time. His father was lying on his death bed, asking for his niece. His cousin, a.k.a the aforementioned niece, had disappeared, as it had been for the last twenty years, after the Kurosaki family disowned her mother. Added to the fact that he hadn't been in a fine mood ever since his mother had died, Kurosaki Ichigo had every reason to be in a foul mood.

And now, he had a girl clutching tightly at his seat, unwilling to let go.

The girl had barged in from the Business Class seats, yelling "Darling! Where are you?" and such. She was followed by two nervous-looking flight attendants, one of which seemed to have cried recently. From the looks of it, she probably had been searching the whole plane, starting from the Economy Class seats. When she arrived at his seat, which was located at the front end of the aircraft, she fainted and took a death grip on it. The attendants tried to tug her away from his seat, but to no avail. Her hold was simply too firm.

A blue flower-shaped hairclip had dropped from her hair and slid away as she fell on the floor, and Ichigo could see her hand, the one which was not holding onto his seat, move about frantically on the floor to search for it. However, she kept her eyes firmly closed, pretending to have fainted. When her hand reached her hairclip, she bent her fingers around it, and held it in her hand. At the sight of this, Ichigo bent down to whisper in her ear "Your gig's up. I've got you. Now stop wasting everyone's time."

Her frame twitched a little at his comment, but she made no observable sign of giving up. So, Ichigo took out a pen, and began prying her fingers away from his seat, one at a time. He did not care if he would hurt her. Such outrageous acts deserved such forceful measures.

At the time around ichigo started working on the fifth finger, yells of "We've made it!" and "God bless the girl!" came from behind Ichigo. Apparently, a tourist group which had been late could get on the plane just because of the girl's wild escapade. At the sound of the people, the girl instantly let go of his seat, and allowed herself to be carried away by the attendants. Her long, auburn hair obscured her face from view, but Ichigo had a feeling they would meet again.

* * *

"Seriously, Orihime... You have got to stop entering situations so carelessly… You may get arrested the next time, you know…" said Sora, as he drove the coach back to the Karakura Town Square, slowly and carefully this time.

"Don't worry!" answered the girl in a cheerful, bubbly manner, "Orihime will always put others in front of herself, and work to her very best efforts!" She pumped her fists in the air, as if cheering herself on. "We don't want our customers to miss their flight, do we? They were such nice people too!" As she remembered her thirty new friends who had just departed, her eyes shone in joy and accomplishment.

"I'm so sorry, Orihime… We have to move from place to place so frequently, and now you even have to be an illegal, unlicensed tour guide…" His dark grey eyes shone of sadness, and averted her light grey ones.

"Nii-chan! Don't be sad! I am happy that I can travel to all kinds of places! Some people don't get to go overseas their whole life, you know! And I have already been all around the Earth in all kinds of transport! I can speak in so many languages now! I am grateful for the unique experience!" The girl answered in shock, trying desperately to cheer her brother up. She ended her sentence with a clap in front of herself, signifying gratitude. Unlike what most people would have thought, the girl was sincere and was not in the slightest bit sarcastic, and her brother acknowledged that.

"Thank you, Orihime… For lighting up my world." His lips pulled into a soft smile, and his eyes shone with love and care.

"You're welcome, nii-chan!" replied Orihime, even though she had no idea what her brother had meant.

* * *

After getting down the plane and getting over customs, Ichigo exited through the gates and found a green-haired woman already waiting for him.

"Nel, how's dad?" asked Ichigo, as he got inside the limo, signaling the driver to start driving.

"I'm sorry to say that President-sama had not been faring well. The doctor said that unless he had the will to continue on, he would… die in a few days' time." The green haired beauty replied. There were two distinctive red marks on both sides of her face, and her look was that belonging to a relative of a near-death patient.

Worry and desperation were written across Ichigo's face. It was held in a scowl, and his eyebrows were knitted so closely together that it seemed that they would not break apart in centuries to come. His hands were held into fists, so tightly that veins are popping up. In his eyes was a swirl of worry, of desperation, and of fear.

As soon as they had arrived at Kurosaki manor, Ichigo leapt off his seat, and rushed to the front door. As soon as it was opened, he resumed running, flinging open door after door. His run was desperate, like that of a rabbit which was running away from a predator.

He flung open one last door, which revealed a large room with a large bed in the centre. Beside the bed was all kinds of medical equipment and monitors, which were constantly beeping and flashing. One particularly worrying monitor showed that his heartbeat had slowed down considerably. Another showcased the immense amount of medication currently running in his system. A man was lying on top of the bed, with all kinds of tubes and machines attached to his body. He had a breathing mask on, and he appeared quite lifeless.

"Dad…" murmured Ichigo, as he walked over to the dying patient. "How are you?"

Kurosaki Isshin answered weakly, "Ichigo… Did you find her?"

Ichigo's face turne down as he answered, "Not yet… Sorry, dad…"

Kurosaki Isshin turned to a large, black-and-white photo on the wall. In it were a man, a woman, and a baby. All of them, even the baby, had a large grin on their faces. The man's eyes are slitted, and he had white hair. He was holding the bby in one arm, and held the woman, presumably his wife with the other. The woman had a well-defined face, and though one cannot see from the black-and-white photo, her long, strawberry blonde hair made even her icy blue eyes seem warm. She had quite a large bosom, and she must have been proud of it, since she deliberately let her top hang loose around it.

Isshin continued, in a sorrowful tone, "Twenty years ago, when I heard of my sister, your aunt's pregnancy, I immediately disowned her. And I hve been regretting the decision ever since. As the head of the family, I could only think of the reputation of the Kurosaki family… I was such a disgrace. Ichigo… Find her… Or Rangiku and Gin's souls won't be able to rest in peace!"

"I will, dad… I promise." Answered Ichigo seriously. Then, he slowly made his way out of the room, allowing his father to rest.

Once he closed the door silently, he found Nel waiting out of the room for him. She was holding a photo in her hand. No doubt, those were his aunt and uncle and baby cousin in that photo. "It was taken about nineteen years ago… Just before the earthquake which killed Rangiku-sama and Gin-sama. It was taken during the town fair." said Nel. Everyone was smiling brightly in that photo, oblivious to the tragedy that was going to befall on them.

"Thanks, Nel. Now try to track down those who are in this photo and ask if they have any information on my cousin." Said ichigo.

"Okay. And you don't need to thank me… I'm your secretary; I get paid to do these things, right? Oh, and don't forget, you have to fly back to Karakura first thing tomorrow. There's a meeting with Abarai Catering." Answered Nel, and with that, she strode away, murmuring something about "town square" and "renovation department".

Ichigo went down the hallway, and entered his room. He plopped down on his bed, not even bothering to undress. He merely loosened and then threw away his tie. He glanced at his clock, which said 1:00a.m.. He lay on his bed, his brain fully saturated with numerous thoughts. _Hang in there, old man_, he thought._ I will definitely find her._ He repeated the vow to himself, as determination flooded into his eyes. _ Don't die, Dad… Karin and Yuzu still need you... I need you too…_ And with these thoughts, Kurosaki Ichigo drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"You're from Hong Kong too? As fellow Hong Kong people, I will provide the best service there is!" Orihime chirped in Cantonese. She handed a card to a man, who was obviously a traveler. On the card were the words, "Inoue Orihime ­­­– The Best Local Guide of karakura Town", along with the phone number of Orihime. The travelers seemed to be interested, but answered, "Thank you. I will think about it." Throughout the day, Orihime would repeat such acts in other languages, using other countries or regions. Occasionally, she would switch to "I used to live there when I was little!" or "I would provide a special discount!", but no one accepted their guide offers. However, she kept smiling no matter what. She just kept on trying and trying. However, as night fell and the tourists began to leave, Sora and Orihime were forced to cease working for the day.

"Ugh! What a slow day. No customers at all!" grumbled Sora, as he and Orihime walked back to their home. He and Orihime had been diligently trying to get customers for the whole day,

"It's okay, nii-chan! I would work even harder tomorrow! We would surely get customers tomorrow!" exclaimed Orihime, as she danced around her brother while walking towards their home. Despite the "slow day", as her brother puts it, she still had a huge smile plastered on her face. Her auburn locks twirled around as she moved about, making her look like an exotic fairy.

Sora's eyes darkened a bit at the word "tomorrow", and he suddenly appeared to be deep in thought. His hands were inside his pockets, and he kept his gaze on the floor. However, Orihime was oblivious to her brother's thoughts, as she began talking to random objects along the sides of the road. Her bright laughter rang soundly in the night, merry and full of joy.

* * *

So... How do you like it? Please review! Flames would be used to toast marshmallows, and people who review would get cookies! Actually, I planned to write ths fic later, but after I saw this extremely creepy lady in the streets, I just have to write to calm my nerves! I cannot promise weekly updates for this fic, but I assure you that I would not leave it unfinished! I like the pairing too much to do that!

If you want me to put characters into this fic, tell me! I have not decided which characters to use yet! And sub-plots would be great too!

Please please please please please review! Copper and Blitch, I am expecting reviews from you two! Updates also!

So, bye bye for now!

=Babiip ^^


	2. The Chase

Yay! I got another chapter done! Actually, I haven't got into the real plot of the story yet, so don't make any assumptions. Receiving only 5 reviews kinda brought down my spirits, but at least i got good reviews, right?

Thanks go to everyone who has reviewed, that is, copper, Blitch, Shigur3', miss dramikkkk, and Hibari08! Wow that was short... I want more reviews!

Oh, and actually, the creepy lady didn't really inspire me to write this... She just scared me so much that I just had to write to calm my nerves.

This second chapter is dedicated to **Blitch**! I loooove her stories! Girl, I am waiting for updates!

** Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. I am so happy. Ha. Ha... Ha...... Oh who am I kidding! Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh! *cries*

* * *

_A little girl was running, running down the hallway. She couldn't see where she was going, but she knew one thing: She mustn't be caught. The girl was no more than three years old, and her short legs couldn't carry her body to move so quickly. Suddenly, hands snaked out from behind her, and grabbed her shoulder, turning her around forcefully, it revealed- _

At this point, Orihime woke up with a gasp. She glanced at her bedside clock, and was surprised to find out that it was nearly noon. Her minds instant bombarded her with questions. Why didn't her brother wake her up, and more importantly, where was he? She could not hear any sounds coming from the other rooms of the house. Turning quickly, she put her feet on the floor, and lifted herself from the bed.

She set foor into the living room, which doubled as the kitchen, the dining room, and Sora's bedroom. It was a small, plain room, with only one chair, a table, a mini-fridge, and a stove. They had to move frequently, and it wasn't like they had the money to buy any other furniture anyway. Peeking into before walking past the door which led to the toilet, she noticed a note on the main room table.

She slowly walked over to the note, and on it read,

_Orihime,_

_I am sorry that I have to leave so abruptly. However I have borrowed a large sum of money from loan sharks, and have to go into hiding for a while. Please be safe, and be careful._

_You brother who loves you,_

_Sora._

Orihime read it over again, and then dropped it on the floor. She reached for her cell phone to call her brother, and wasn't surprised to find out that his phone was turned off. She quickly strode into her room to change, while millions of questions swirled inside her mind. Sure, they have been chased by debt-collectors and loan sharks before, but every time, Sora fled with her. What was special this time that he had to leave without her?

As the doorbell rang, Orihime rushed to finish changing her clothes. Little did she know that all of her questions were going to be answered as soon as she opened the door.

Hearing the doorbell ring several more times, Orihime dashed to the front door, and pulled it open. To her surprise, she found an entire gang of yakuza, complete with black coats, sunglasses, and slick oily hair, just like the ones seen in movies. She felt as if a door had been opened inside of her. She thought fast, and before she realized it, she turned around, and yelled at the back door, "Run! Nii-chan! They have arrived!"

Hearing this, all of the men in black rushed over to the back door, with cries of "He's there!" and "Get him!". After all the thugs had ran past her, Orihime sped through the open door, in the opposite direction. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, and the wind was stinging her skin. Behind her, she could hear the men realizing their mistake, and some had started chasing her. She wished for help from her brother, but she knew that he wouldn't be able to help her. She wanted to cry out, but she refrained from doing so. Despite the terror, her mind was completely clear. She turned at every other corner, took every shortcut which existed, and jumped over obstacles where she knew there would be. Left, right, left, left, Orihime began to lose count of the turns she had made. Only one thought remained in her mind: She cannot be caught. Her vision began to get blurry, but she continued running.

After what seemed like hours, but had just been merely ten minutes, Orihime found herself in the backyard of somebody's house, hopelessly gazing at a stone wall which separated her from the streets. The wall was just a little bit shorter than her, but she would get badly bruised if she fell from it.

She contemplated for a second, but after hearing the thugs catch up to her, Orihime repeated the message inside her head, _I must not get caught. _So, she put her hands on the stone wall, and hoisted herself upwards. To her surprise, climbing it was easier than she had thought, and she landed without much effort. As she prepared to dart forward once more, she failed to notice that a car was running up to her. Her eyes widened as the tires screeched, "SCREEEEEEEE!"

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo was driving along a deserted road in the outskirts of Karakura Town. He was driving towards the Karakura branch of the Kurosaki Hotels. Nel was sitting in the back seat, telling him the details he needed to know for the meeting, and informing him of the progress of searching for his cousin. He grimaced in the fact that all people in the photo who could be reached had no idea where his cousin was. The optimistic news was that the critical pair, the landlords, and their neighbours of the time had yet to be reached.

The road on which he was driving was rarely used, even for vehicles travelling to the hotel. It was usually deserted, with no signs of life on or along the road. So, imagine his surprise when a girl suddenly landed from a wall on the side of the road, at a spot where his car would hit a few seconds later.

Reflexively, he slammed down on the brakes, immediately slowing the car down. As the car's movement came to a halt, he took a glance out of the windshield. A girl with auburn hair was standing in front of his car, body only inches away from it. She just stood there for a few seconds, but then, she began to falter, and she fell onto the floor.

At the sight of the girl falling, Ichigo rushed out of his car, and knelt down by the girl's side. He was instantly struck by her appearance. Her large grey eyes were opened wide in shock, staring at him in surprise. Her skin was pale, probably from the shock, and it looked really smooth. In a way, her skin looked like the surface of a boiled egg. Her long, auburn hair framed her face perfectly, pinned into place by two blue, flower-shaped hairpins. A few stray bangs covered her face a little bit, and somehow, he wished to sweep them away with his hands. He was so mesmerized by her face that he did not realize that he was staring at her.

After a while, Ichigo finally realized what he was doing, and managed to stutter out, "Well… Are you alright?" His face was burning, but he refused to acknowledge it.

The girl stared back with blank eyes, with an equally red face, but then, she answered unsteadily, "Oh, I am fin-", before she could finish her sentence, however, she turned her head to the wall, and fainted.

"Oi! Are you okay?" At the sight of her fainting, Ichigo yelled in alarm. Receiving no reply, he began to shake her form vigorously. With no reaction coming from the girl, Ichigo took her into his arms, and carried her to his car, while he yelled, "Nel! We need to take her to the hospital! She had fainted!"

Nel poked her head out from the car window, and examined the girl's face with interest. She had noticed when her boss was staring at the girl, and she wondered why. _He wouldn't… _But before she could even ask herself that question, she had already formed a reply. _Nah…_ However, taking one more glance at the girl's face, an idea came into her mind. _Should I tell him that? But if I did, he may get angry with me… _She pondered.

* * *

When she saw the car speeding towards her, Inoue Orihime had seriously believed that it was going to be the end of her. Yes, she could see the frontlines in the news tomorrow… "Girl killed during hurdle race with yakuza". However, her thoughts were soon swept away by the man who ran to her side and knelt beside her.

She processed each feature on her savior's face with utmost care. Her sight had gone blurry from the chase and the shock. All her brain could process was short, orange hair. _His hair's so funny… _she thought. She wanted to reach out and feel it with her fingers, but then, a little voice at the back of her mind reminded her that she was running away from a gang of yakuza.

She turned her head towards the wall which she had just jumped off from, and was horrified to see that the men were perched on the wall, each glaring at her hungrily, like wolves watching their prey. Her blood froze at the chilling essence from their gaze, and she fainted.

* * *

Ichigo took Orihime's still form to the nearest hospital, and asked a doctor to check on her. The doctor had hooked her onto various types of machines, and even produced a body check report on her. Fortunately, nothing came out as odd.

"Well, at least now we know she hadn't been hurt by the car." The doctor said.

"Then why had she fainted? She should have been up by now!" Ichigo exclaimed. He had just hit a person, and he was going to be responsible for everything he had caused.

"Quite possibly she had fainted from the shock, but we won't know for sure. She should wake up pretty soon though." The doctor gave an uninterested nod, and left.

"Nel, can you stay here with her until she wakes up? Then, take her to me so that we may go over the compensation details. I still have to attend the meeting." Ichigo told Nel. Somehow, he wished to stay there,but he forbid himself from staying. _You still have a meeting to attend. _He reminded himself.

"Okay, now go! You don't want to be late for the meeting with our largest cooperator!" Said Nel, doing a shooing motion with her hand.

After Ichigo had left the room, the girl continue to sleep. Nel took out a photo from her various folders, and compared her with a specific person on the photo. Squinting her eyes, she struggled to find any striking differences between the girl and the woman in the photo. _Hmm… Just as I thought. This girl really is the splitting image of her!_ Then, she glanced at the girl's body check form, and sighed when she took notice of the girl's blood type. _Why does she have to be a B blood type! If she were an O, we would have found the missing lady already! _

Just then, the wild, crazy idea she had had earlier flashed into her mind. _Well, we can always just… _She shook her head violently, as if to remove those thoughts from her mind. _Noooo… That's wrong, and Ichigo would get mad at me for even thinking about it._

She was soon jerked away from her inner world when suddenly, a commotion could be heard coming from the waiting hall.

"We know she's in here!" a deep, loud voice boomed out. "Where's the girl, the one who was brought in from a traffic accident just now! Tell us or we'll trash this place!" The announcement was followed by equally gruff yells of "yeah!' and "We'll really do it!". Receiving no reply, the voiced commanded, "Search every inch of this place and find the girl!"

Nel whipped her head towards Orihime in shock, but was further surprised by seeing her sitting upright on the edge on the bed, panic written across her face. Before Nel could open her mouth to say anything, the girl grabbed the edge of her sleeve, and screamed, "We have to run!" With that, the panicking girl dashed out of the room, tugging Nel along.

Once they got out of the room, they were terrified to see a shade of black colour turning the corner. Orihime's head darted from side to side, searching for a place to hide. She found the door to the janitor's closet, and she entered it with Nel.

A minute later, Orihime and Nel exited the room, in full janitor's attire, complete with towels on top of their heads. Orihime wielded a broom, while Nel was pushing a trolley. They walked down the hallway, avoiding the eyes of the yakuza when they passed the men. Orihime kept her face on the ground while sweeping the floor, and Nel stared blankly to the front. Thankfully, the men did not even spare them a look. They both let out a breath of relief as thee yakuza got farther and farther.

Rushing down the stairs, the women were petrified to find an army of yakuza patrolling the corridors leading to the entrance. Realizing their poor disguises would not work against such a large group, the women stayed in the stair case, waiting for a chance to escape.

Suddenly, Orihime lunged out towards a person on a stretcher, with Nel in tow. She pulled the towel on her head lower to obscure her face, and she shoved Nel's head into the stretcher, just next to the victim. Then, Orihime turned towards Orihime, and began chanting soothingly, "It's gonna be okay, don't worry… He will be fine…", while pushing Nel to make her move along with the stretcher. Once the stretcher was moved into an operating room, Orihime finally allowed Nel to raise her head. By this time, they were far from the entrance, and Nel could tell that Orihime was planning something.

With this moment of stillness, Nel's mind raised a few questions which were impossible to ignore. _Who is this girl? Why is she chased around by the yakuza? Would she fit for the role? _

However, Nel's train of thought was interrupted when Orihime turned abruptly, forcing Nel to follow. Nel turned her head slightly, and caught sight of the yakuza members. Both ladies continued strutting aimlessly, but suddenly, Orihime pulled Nel into a doctor's office. Before her mind could react to the sudden change in surroundings, a doctor's coat was thrown over her, and she was once again pulled out of the room. Now, Orihime and here wore doctor's coats, and the towels were gone.

Orihime asked, a bit too brightly, "How are the conditions of Miss Tanaka? Make sure that her heartbeat rate is normal, and inform me if anything out of place happens." Without waiting for a reply, Orihime took off their disguises, and they went straight into a black door.

* * *

Meanwhile, another man in black was standing at the entrance of the hospital. He was smoking his cigar, and was impatiently chewing on it. A few other thugs gathered at his side, apparently looking out for him. Then, another nervous-looking yakuza emerged from the hospital, and reported, "Boss… We've searched every inch of the hospital, but we cannot find the girl! We're so sorry!"

"Damn it! Just where the hell could the girl be in such a small hospital! You're all useless!" yelled the leader.

Then, as if on cue, an ambulance appeared from his back, and he yelped before dodging it. On the back of the ambulance, firmly holding onto the rails in the back, were a happily waving Inoue Orihime and another green-haired woman. The thugs wished to chase after her, but the ambulance was too fast. They just stood there, yelling curses after the rapid fading image of Inoue Orihime.

* * *

Okay, and this wraps it up for the second chapter! The thoughts and background of Orihime and Ichigo would be elaborated further on in the next chapter. I want to bring the main plot into play earlier, so either the next chapter would be inhumanely long, or I might have to cut away some scenes... But that doesn't matter, not now, anyway...

Again, I hadn't planned to write this chapter so soon, but you deserved it!

Review, people! I want at least ten before my next update! *Point at potential viewer* REVIEW!


	3. The Friends

Gya! I have finally finished this chapter! I worked a LOT on this chapter! Gah! The characters are now better introduced though. I want reviews!

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I am so happy I got more than 10 reviews now! I am so happy! *hugs reviewers* Oh, and check out my Ichihime oneshot, _The Means to Escape_! *cough* _advertising maniac _*cough*

And a huge sorry to miss dramatikk! I honestly did not mean to exclude her! It just kind of happened!

This long, long chapter (for me anyway) is dedicated to my lovely reviewers! That includes you, copper and blitch! So... I want updates in return!

**Disclaimer:** A friend once said to me, "Thou shall not own Bleach." And it is still the case.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo was sitting with a large group of people, composed of some other Executive Officers of the Kurosaki Hotel and the representatives from Abarai Catering. It was a boring, single-direction meeting, as most decisions have already been made beforehand, and that both sides had worked with each other so many times in the past that they could fit every need of the other.

The firm was recently passed down to the adopted son of the late founder, Shunsui Kyoraku. After his death from liver failure, Abarai Renji had taken charge but he was more content with disappearing randomly, so the firm was now in the capable hands of the secretary, Nanao Ise.

Even though she's only in her mid-twenties, she was very capable. In fact, the meeting consisted of nothing other than her talking about her plans, with herself making appropriate amendments at times.

Ichigo had not said anything other than a "Hi" since the start of the so-called meeting, and he could not help but drift off. He attempted not to think about his sick father, but failed. He face fell into an even deeper scowl as he asked himself how in the world had he failed to find his cousin.

* * *

The girl in Ichigo's mind was indeed very awake now. In fact, she was now looking over the coastline, accompanied by a green-haired woman. Orihime was dancing around in circles, but she suddenly stopped, and asked the lady beside her, "Oh my God! I almost forgot to ask who you are! My name is Inoue Orihime, nice to meet you!"

Nel was slightly stunned by the girl's randomness. However, she collected her nerves, and replied, coolly and professionally "My name is Neliel Tu Oderschvank, but you can call me Nel. I work as the secretary for the Chief Communications Officer of the Kurosaki Hotels, Kurosaki Ichigo, who is the driver of the car which almost hit you. We give you our sincerest apologies, and would like to talk over the compensation details at the hotel."

"No problem!" answered Orihime cheerfully. Nel bowed deeply, and Orihime was compelled to do a low, awkward bow herself.

"Okay, now business's been over with…" said Nel, who had thrown her business-like composure out of the window, and replaced it with a much more friendly, happy one. "Why were you so good at escaping from the yakuza? Have you done it before?"

Orihime did not seem to be the tiniest bit phased by the sudden change of the woman's behavior. She blabbered out, "Well, I have escaped from various debt-collectors from all over the world, but usually my brother's with me! In fact, this is the first time I have done it myself! I am very pleased with my performance!" Her cheerful, bubbly attitude would have fitted for telling a fairytale.

However, the façade was not enough to fool the perceptive eyes of Nel. She had caught the tiny shimmer of sadness in Orihime's eyes when she had just said that. _There must be something wrong…_ Nel thought, but she decided to drop the subject for the time being. Then, she stretched out her hand towards Orihime, and said, "Now, what say we head back to the hotel and get the mess over with?"

Orihime gladly took her hand, and asked a rather intriguing question, "Okay, but where are we?"

* * *

The meeting had finally finished, and Kurosaki Ichigo was now allowed to retreat to the confines of his office. He flung opened the door leading to his office, and was half-surprised to find Nel waiting with the girl he had almost hit. They were sitting on the sofa, both silent. He quickly took his seat opposite from them, and questioned, "Let's just get to the point. What do you want?"

Orihime had not thought that she would need to come up with an answer immediately. She thought of the issue of who to go to, and a black-haired woman flashed into her mind. She answered, "I would like an airplane ticket to Tokyo tonight."

Ichigo was slightly taken aback by her request. Wouldn't normal people ask for much more? He already had a six-figure number in his mind, but this answer would cost 100 times cheaper than that. He asked skeptically, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Came the certain, curt response.

"Okay then. Nel, please book the ticket to Tokyo." Ichigo released a sigh of relief as the whole incident had come to an end. He had anticipated a longer meeting filled with yells and curses, but the matter had been settled within five minutes. However, Ichigo's rare moment of peace and leisure was ended by his ringing phone.

"Please excuse me." said Ichigo, as he picked up his phone. Nel and Orihime automatically stood up, and left the room through the door. "Well, since it would be much more convenient, let's but an electronic plane ticket. I can give you the ticket here too!" suggested Nel. Orihime gave a slight nod in reply, and was instantly pulled to another office.

While Nel sat at the computer, buying the ticket, Orihime surveyed her surroundings. This room, she noticed, was markedly different from Ichigo's office.

Ichigo's office was plain and simple. Yes, it was extravagant, with the sofa and the top-notch computers, but there were no decorations or ornaments. There was no obvious pattern for choosing the furniture, with no colour scheme or vibe. The room, she noticed, gave off an almost off-putting sense of detachment, of emptiness. No feelings were infused into the room, and it just felt like a hollow hole in a building structure, merely a room. Somehow, Orihime felt a bit sad in the room. It was like there was something preventing her from getting happy. The room felt a bit scary.

Nel's office was the polar opposite. The colour green ruled with totalitarianism in the room. The carpet, the ceiling, the computer, everything was coloured in green. The whole room radiated energy and cheerfulness, and just being in this room made Orihime want to dance. The door connecting Ichigo's office and Nel's office was like a portal linking two dimensions. One side was green and fuzzy, while the other was white and plain. The stark contrast made Orihime dizzy.

Before she had time for further analyzing, Nel jumped up from her seat, shoved a piece of paper into Orihime's hand, and yelled, "All done! Just show this to the officer when you check in, and it will be okay!" Orihime gave a wide smile in appreciation, and exclaimed, "Thank you so much! Now I don't have to worry about the yakuza anymore!" And with that, she went on her happy way out of the office.

Then, sitting down and looking at her computer screen, Nel looked at her computer screen, and murmured, "Yes… She would do very nicely."

* * *

Resting his back on the recliner chair, Ichigo exhaled deeply. The phone call had not been a pleasant one. It was from his father's nurse, saying that his condition had taken a turn for the worse. He had been admitted to the hospital, and the doctor announced that he had only got days to go. In fact, his condition had gotten so bad that his aunt and her boyfriend, who lived in Nagasaki, felt the need to come over.

Plopping his head onto his overlapped hands, he covered his eyes. There was no way he could find his estranged cousin in two days. He could not even find the slightest trace of where she had gone. Letting out a frustrated breath of despair, Ichigo remained in this position, brooding about what to do.

At this point, Nel barged in from her office, and yelled, "Ichigo! Bad news! I just received an e-mail! The president has been admitted to the hospital!"

Ichigo did not lift his head. He replied, "I know. The phone call just now was about that."

Seeing Ichigo's troubled expression, Nel sighed, and murmured, "Well… I have an idea which may help improve the President's situation… It involves the missing lady, and… You have to promise you won't get mad, okay?" Nel was hesitant to talk, but she knew that she had to make her idea known.

As Ichigo gave a nod in reply, Nel carried on, "Well… You know that girl whom you had just talked about the compensation matters with? Don't you think… She looked like Rangiku-sama?"

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. _She isn't saying that… _Nel continued, "Well… I was thinking that… Maybe we can get her to pose as the missing lady? She does look similar enough to Rangiku-sama to pass…"

Ichigo cut in suddenly, "Even if she looks like my aunt, does she have the skills to impersonate my cousin? Would she be able to carry out such a feat?" The contempt was evident in his tone, and Nel could see that he was a bit angry at her for her suggestion.

"I do not think that would be a matter." Nel answered, calmly. "She was able to sneak both of us out of the hospital even with a yakuza barricade, and from my observations, she is highly skilled in the area of deception and acting. She would fit perfectly for the role. Furthermore, it is not necessarily a long-term thing. She only needs to see the President once, just for him to know that she's well and alive, and she can disappear from the surface of the Earth again. It would be convenient, and there would be no troublesome consequences."

Ichigo honestly did not expect Nel to retaliate so perfectly. So, he was hit with her words unprepared, and her proposal struck him deep in the core. _This is perfect! We can get Dad to get better, and there will be no strings attached! _One side of him said. However, the other side had another opinion, _No, this is wrong! You are lying to him! The old man has enough on his plate already!_

Knowing that Ichigo was struggling, Nel added, "There is no need to make such a quick decision. Since you can't leave till tomorrow anyway, you have one night to think about it. I have kept her cell phone number, and we can contact her as soon as we want. I will now leave you to your thoughts." And with that, she exited his office.

* * *

Meanwhile, Inoue Orihime was sitting on her seat in the plane, waiting for it to take off. She sat at the window seat, and the seat next to her was empty. She wanted to look out of the window, but it was shut. She had no books, no magazines, and nothing to kill her time with. She didn't even have luggage, since her place was placed on heavy lockdown by the yakuza.

She lifted her head to see the seat beside her being filled. The person who was going to sit next to her for the next hour was getting seated. Orihime's brows shot up in surprise when she saw that his hair was a brilliant shade of red. Most of his face was obscured by the newspaper he was holding up, and her curiosity got the better of her.

Slowly, she moved her head over to his newspaper, and poked her head through the barrier. The man's peculiar appearance amused her. Besides his crimson hair, he had a lot of other interesting facial features. Various tattoos were scattered around his face, and Orihime struggled to find his eyebrows. His had a tanned complexion, which contrasted with his expensive-looking white shirt.

The man was scowling, and pain and hurt could be seen in his eyes. Orihime noted that he was gazing at a particular spot on the newspaper, or rather, a particular person. She looked over to where he was staring at, and caught the title, "Tennis Star coming back to Japan". The photograph showed a petite raven-haired woman holding out a tennis racket, just managing to hit the ball. Orihime's eyes frantically searched for a name, but she failed, as no sooner than she had started looking for the name did the man turned his head, face now hovering inches away from hers.

Giving out a yelp of surprise, their heads shot back. Orihime pointed her finger to the photo, and said, "You must be a really big fan of her, right? With that look in your eyes…"

The crimson-haired man was bewildered, but his expression turned grim the instant his eyes travelled back to the photo. "Yeah… She really broke a certain somebody's heart."

She replied, "She must be a really good person then? To be able to make that someone fall in love with her…" She tilted her head in interest, innocence and curiosity shining in her eyes. She merely wanted to know, with no malicious intent nor gossiping in her mind.

He leaned back against the back of his seat, stared at the ceiling, and muttered, "Noo… She was a violent, temperamental psycho-midget-bitch. Over the years I have known her, she had won in every single fight we have had. But then… She's also kind, encouraging, strong, cute… I don't feel like I know her now though…"

Sadness, hurt, pain… Everything were clearly reflected in his eyes. Even he himself didn't know why he was telling this stranger girl everything in his mind. Perhaps it was too much for him to hold inside himself. The girl seemed to have some sort of innate ability to make him tell her everything. She asked and he answered. Nothing else crossed his mind.

Seeing the girl's slightly confused expression, the man handed her his newspaper, and said, "Take a look for yourself." Orihime immediately started reading,

_Kuchiki Rukia, foster daughter of the famous Kuchiki family and tennis superstar, had revealed that she would return to Japan after this year's US Opens. Miss Kuchiki had entered the competition without any public support, and had risen to fame quickly after she made her way easily into the finals. _

_Miss Kuchiki had said that she was returning to see a very important person to her. It was said that she hadn't seen this person ever since she started training overseas 3 years ago. It is widely speculated that this person is the Chief Communications Officer Kurosaki Ichigo of the Kurosaki Hotels, who was a close friend of Miss Kuchiki, and is rumoured to be her boyfriend when she had left. _

_Miss Kuchiki's next opponent would be… _

_Kurosaki Ichigo…_ The name sounded familiar to Orihime. She was sure she had heard the name previously, but she could place her finger on it. So, she decided to drop the matter.

Orihime opened her mouth to reinitialize the conversation, but was cut off when the speakers announced that the plane was going to take off soon. She shut her mouth, merrily anticipating the sudden arrival of pressure that came with the take off, which was so fun to feel.

Over the course of the flight, Orihime continued to talk with the stranger. She had learnt that his name was Abarai Renji and many more. However, she noticed that the sad glimmer in his eyes always appeared whenever the image of the tennis star went into his sight.

Renji learnt a lot about Orihime too. She happily blabbered about her life, and how she used to travel from country to country. Renji was mildly surprised by the girl's optimistic and innocent approach to life, even when she had been through an insane lot.

Since neither of them had much luggage, if any, they could just go through customs without waiting for their luggage. As soon as they had departed from the customs,Renji had been very restless, swinging his head from one side to another, as if he was running away from someone.

Concerned, Orihime asked, "What's wrong Abarai-kun?"

At this point, Renji's eyes caught sight of a few men in black clothes who he recognized. Quickly hiding behind a pole, tugging Orihime along, he pointed to the men-in-black, and said, "See those men? They are bad guys who are trying to catch me."

To his surprise, Orihime bought his lousy explanation. "Oh, you too? Here, let me help you with them!" And with that, she sprinted off towards the men, forming an "OK" sign with her hand, leaving Renji to wonder about what did the "too" mean.

* * *

The men in black never saw it coming. A girl was sprinting down the aisle, and suddenly, she bumped into them, and crashed into the floor. They were looking for someone, but this sudden intrusion brought their faces all to her side. "Are you okay?" they asked. Unbeknownst to them, the crimson-haired man they had been looking for took this chance and got out through the door.

The girl immediately sprang up, narrowly missing one of the men's nose. She gave out an unconvincing declaration that she was fine, and took off.

She couldn't see where her new friend was, so she supposed that he had run off. Though a bit sad at her friend's disappearance, she went onto a bus and took her seat. Glancing out of the opened window, she admired the red and purple sunset. Just when she had started losing herself in the complex colours of the sky, a head poked in, and a note was shoved into her hand.

"That's my number! Make sure you call me! I haven't got many friends who know my secrets!" The owner of the hand, a crimson-haired man yelled.

"I will!" Orihime yelled back, as the bus began moving. She was happy. It was only the first day she had arrived at Tokyo, and she had already made a friend.

Abarai Renji was also happy. He did not know why he told this girl everything, but somehow he knew he could trust her, perhaps because she gave off an air of innocence and selflessness. _This,_ he noted, _would be the start of a beautiful friendship._

* * *

As her bus drew nearer and nearer to her destination, Orihime began to clutch her bad tighter and tighter. _I haven't seen her in years! I wonder what she looks like now. _Shaking her head, Orihime reminded herself that what her friend looked like now did not matter. What mattered was that her friend would not change on the inside.

Orihime smiled as she remembered their special friendship. Over the years she had made many friends, but did not manage to keep many. Every time they had to leave for another place, all communications between her and her friends were severed. However, this one was different. When she was about to leave once again, her friend had assured Orihime that she would keep in contact with her, no matter what, complete with a death threat. True to her word, they had kept in contact through phonecall in the past few years, and since Orihime couldn't pay for the long-distant calls, Orihime had to be the caller every time.

Her smile faltered when she remembered his brother. _Nii-chan… Where are you…_ However, her smile reappeared in an instant. _If I don't smile, nii-chan and her will be worried! Smile!_

Then, the bus pulled in at her station, and she got off the bus. She took a look around, and marveled at how little things had changed. Orihime had anticipated everything to change, and that she would have a hard time finding her destination, but that appeared to be an excess worry now. She recognized every road, every building, every shop. Even the old cat was perched on the same spot. _Everything's the same... _she mused.

After walking past a few blocks, she turned a few more corners, and came to the place her friend had told her about. It appeared to be some sort of living quarters, as it was attached to a large dojo. Orihime rang the doorbell, and waited.

In a second, the door was slammed open and a tall, slender woman with spiky black hair appeared in the doorway. "Who is it?" She yelled. When she caught sight of Orihime, she immediately took Orihime into her arms, and yelled, "Orihime! It's been so long! How are you? Why are you here? Where's Sora-san? Are you okay?"

Orihime felt warm in her friend's arms, but also a bit overwhelmed, "Yeah, Tatsuki-chan! Well… I am fine, but nii-chan… He sort of disappeared, and our home was invaded by yakuzas, so I had no place to go… And now I am here! So… Can I stay here for a while?" Even though her expression was a bit blank and disoriented in the beginning, Orihime put her sunshine smile back on halfway through her explanation.

"Of course you can! I promised that you can come here anytime, right?" Tatsuki answered. "It kinda piss me off that he's away though… He had made you travel so frequently, and now he had downright abandoned you…"

"Of… Of course not! I know that nii-chan loves me very much! He had to borrow the money to support both of us! I don't blame him!" Orihime answered in horror.

Tatsuki mentally shook her head at her best friend's selflessness. However, she didn't say another word, and led Orihime into her house, saying, "What say you come in, take a bath, and go to sleep? It's quite late already." Without waiting for an answer, the black-haired woman pulled the girl into her house.

* * *

A few hours later, Kurosaki Ichigo was leaning his lead against the window of the plane, silently waiting for the plane to arrive at Tokyo. His mind was still considering Nel's plan. If the plan succeeds, his father would definitely get better… But then, he had never told a lie before… Now that he had to start with his family… _It's just wrong. This is wrong. I should never lie to them. _However, he was reminded that his father was dying, and if he did not find his cousin soon, his father would die. A battle commenced inside his head:

_**Just ask her to act already! It's not like there would be any lasting consequences… It will be a one-time thing!**_

_But what if she blackmails me with the information? Dad's health would go bad once more if he knew the truth!_

_**It won't! Once he had gone back to his healthy, drop-kicking original form, he would not revert back!**_

_Then how about the lying part? Family doesn't lie to each other, dammit!_

_**This is to save his life! A simple lie or two does not matter!**_

At this point, he removed all thoughts from his brain, and instead rested his head on the pillow, trying to run away from the thoughts by sleeping. This did not work though, as the two sides continued their heated debate.

* * *

"No!" screaming, Orihime woke up. She was used to the nightmares. Whenever her brother wasn't around, she would have them. She didn't know what they meant though, so she figured she wouldn't trouble everyone by talking about them. She did not recognize her surrounding, ad she began to panic. Then, she remembered that she was at her best friend, Tatsuki's house, and she had fallen asleep after talking with Tatsuki.

She glanced at the bedside clock, which said 3:00 pm. She sprang up, embarrassed that she had slept in, and had practically became a burden. Orihime gave a yelp of surprise as her black-haired friend pushed her head into the room, saying, "Up already, sleepyhead? Take your time! I have many lessons to teach today anyway."

Orihime sat at the edge of the bed, unsure of what to do. She played with her fingers for a while, but then she noticed her cell phone flashing, so she flopped it open, and learnt that thre was a message. She quickly opened the message, hoping that it was from her brother. But to her great disappointment and shock, it was from somebody else.

_Meet me at the park near Tokyo Hospital._

_-Kurosaki Ichigo (The guy who had almost ran you over with his car)_

At any other circumstances, Orihime would have laughed at the way the last part had been written. However, she didn't have the privilege to laugh now. Her mind was instantly filled with worry and negative thoughts. _He isn't going to sue me, is he… Or maybe he's in cahoots with the yakuza!_ Her mind trialed off as thoughts of wasabi-eating yakuza in ballet wear went into her mind.

* * *

Yes! I had finished this chapter! I kinda worried if Renji was OOC, so please tell me how you thought. I'm not familiar with the sports term(s), so please enlighten me on that... I suck at everything sports-related...Oh, and I'm gonna be pretty busy in the next week, so... hope this chapter would suffice. And sorry if it seemed choppy or rushed, I had to finish it this week or I can't update in three weeks.

Copper is away for Spring Break for the time being, so please stop chasing her with pitchforks and torches, people... I wouldn't chase her for a review too! And I hope her writer's block would be over when she comes back... As her beta, I wish the best for her... To hell with that. *picks up pitchfork and lights up a stick* I WANT REVIEWS!!!

I worked very hard on this! So REVIEW! I want reviews! Strawberry cookies with red bean paste go to everyone who reviews! People who have read this but did not review would receive my deadly glare! I am so anxious about the new Bleach chapter! I wish it would be out soon! And Blitch, expect to receive an e-mail from me, cuz I will have a LOT of thoughts on the Bleach chapter! Liked it? Hated it? Leave a review!

Blitch, I want a new chapter too! *puppy dog eyes* please~~~


	4. The Offer

Hey hey hey! I'm back with another chapter! I know I said I won't update in a while, but I really need to get the plot going, and since I couldn't sleep last night, and Blitch said she wouldn't be updating WCBH until I update this, sooo... I wrote this chapter up! I can fially introduce the main plot! *Squeals* Blitch! I want my new chapter! Bet you didn't think I can update so soon... ^^

Thanks go to everyone who has reviewed! I love you all!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach, through sickness or health, through better or worse, through rich or poor... This sounds like a marriage vow.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo sat still on the bench. His father was inside the room opposite to him, being operated on. Kurosaki Isshin's condition had gone from bad to worse, and as soon as Ichigo got off the plane, he and Nel were informed that his father was in critical condition.

Ichigo glanced at his watch. 4_:00 pm._ Kurosaki Isshin had been undergoing surgery for ten hours now. None of his relatives had arrived yet, and when they finally arrive, they may as well dress in black. The doctors told the young hotel executive a bunch of medical terms, and the only words he could understand was "massive hemorrhage" and "immediate need for surgery". According to the doctor, in his current state, even if Isshin survived the surgery, he wouldn't last very long.

It had been an agonizing ten hours. Ichigo couldn't sleep, eat, or even talk. _ This is all my fault._ He blamed himself. _If I could find my cousin, Dad wouldn't be inside the hospital room, dying. _Ichigo was falling deeper and deeper into a spiral of guilt and despair. He knew he had to do something, yet he couldn't do anything. He had sent two messages in a row, the second telling the girl when to come. He knew all he could do now was to wait.

Although he had asked the girl to meet him, it didn't mean he didn't have his reservations though. He knew he would feel guilty for tricking his father, and he knew something bad must come out of it. He just knew it. The direness of the situation had gotten to him, there was one lingering tthread of hope, hoping that his father would somehow miraculously recover after the surgery, and he would need to resort to deception.

Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't a liar. He hadn't told a single lie after that day, and he wasn't going to start by his family.

* * *

Orihime dragged herself off the bed, and walked out of the door, taking a look at each door curiously. Her tomboyish friend had informed her of which rooms the doors led to, but aside from the bathroom and her bedroom, Orihime hadn't been into any of the rooms yet, and she had already forgotten which door led to which room. So, she decided she would explore the house now.

Tatsuki, she noted, had went through a black door, which Orihime suspected to lead to the dojo. Not wanting to interrupt the class, she tiptoed past the door, not making a sound in the way. She went into the door next to it.

Orihime had discovered the kitchen. She noticed the mountain of dirty dishes in the sink, and guiltily located the plate she had ate from yesterday. She picked up the detergent, and began washing the dishes. One, Two, Three,… Orihime counted the dishes one by one as she cleaned them. She scrubbed each plate carefully, and when she rinsed them, she made sure not to leave any bubbles behind. She wiped each of them dry afterwards, wanting to put them into the cupboard immediately.

Soon, one by one, the stack of clean dishes started to grow. When Orihime had counted to ten plates, seven bowls, ten knives and eleven forks, she lowered her hand to pick up another plate, but her hand couldn't find any. _Tatsuki-chan is so busy. I have to help her._ She thought. Then, after putting the dishes into the cupboard, Orihime left the kitchen, looking for another challenge.

On the way to another room, Orihime took out her cell phone to check the time. _5:30pm._ _Just two hours left before I have to meet up with that man. _She reminded herself. She was worried about what the man may ask of her, but what she worried more about was how she could get by Tatsuki. Orihime didn't want to make Tatsuki worry. Telling her that and not letting her help would make Tatsuki very sad. Orihime just wanted her to be happy.

And that was why three hours later, when Tatsuki had returned home, a note of "_I need to see someone – Orihime_", with Orihime's phone acting as a paperweight, was left on the kitchen counter for her to find.

* * *

As the doctors started leaving the room, Kurosaki Ichigo stopped them, and asked for his father's current conditions.

"Fortunately, he had survived the surgery." To Ichigo's immense relief, the first sentence that entered his mind was one bearing good news.

"However, he is extremely weak, and the disease is still eating away at his body. At this rate, he would not last till tomorrow morning." The doctored continued. Ichigo's stomach clenched at his throat, and he entered his father's room dreamily, not caring whether he was allowed or not.

What greeted him was not a pretty sight. The room was white and cold, totall void of any sights of life. The monotonous beeping of the monitors and machines could be heard throughout the room. Other than that, there was dead silence.

And his father.

Kurosaki Isshin lay still on the bed, covered by a white blanket, which was no paler than his face. He was wearing a big breathing mask, which obscured half of his face from view. His eyes were half-lidded, and they were hazy. Noticing his son standing by his bed, Kurosaki Isshin said, in a soft, broken, throaty tone, "Looks like I won't be able to see my niece afterall… This must be divine punishment… After making her suffer so much, I have to worry about her for the eternity of my afterlife… I am sorry… Ichigo…"

Ichigo clenched his fists, and said, "No, dad. You will see her. I promise." Determination flooded into his eyes, as he steeled his resolve. He was going to make the girl say yes.

Then, Ichigo turned and left.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo stood at the entrance of the park, waiting for the girl to come. Fear and doubt continued to grow as he waited. _ She isn't going to stand me up, is she? Dad will die! _Just when he reached down to grab his cell phone, he turned around, and caught sight of an impending auburn-haired girl.

When she had arrived, he opened his mouth, and sad, "The reason I called you here…"

He knew he had to say it, but somehow, he felt that the future was up to him to choose. He was between the fine line between honesty and deception. One wrong step, and that's it. However, he didn't allow himself to hesitate, and continued, "I want you to pose as my cousin."

There. He had said it. All that was left was for him to beg, and for her to accept.

Orihime's eyes grew wide at the revelation, and her thoughts went at a million miles a second. _What? Who? Why? How?_ All these questions swirled around in her head. Despite all that, she only managed to squeak out, "What did you just say, Kurosaki-san?"

He replied, "I would like you to impersonate my estranged cousin. She had disappeared for years, and my father's dying wish is to see her. In order to improve his condition, I have to ask you to pose as her, since you look like my late aunt." His tone was flat and business-like, almost as if he was commanding her to say yes.

But she knew better. Underneath the façade, in his eyes, she could see desperation and sincerity clearly inside. The self-confidence was a mental blockade, a measure to prevent himself from losing control. She knew it was wrong, but she wanted to help. She wanted to help this man. However, as she opened her mouth, she was cut-off.

"I would even help you repay your debts." Said the man.

Astonished, the girl wanted to ask how he had known, but then she remembered that his secretary had seen her running away from the yakuza. She must had told him. So, in the end, she only spoke one word, "Yes."

Kurosaki Ichigo had expected a deadpan "no". But instead, with no further questions, she had said yes. He was immensely relieved, yes, but he was also confused as to why she said yes. He didn't have time to ask though. So, he gestured for her to follow him, and went back into the hospital.

* * *

"Orihime! I'm home!" shouted the black-haired tomboy, as she stepped through the door, coming into her house. Hearing no reply, and seeing the lights were all off, she frantically searched the house, looking for any signs of her ditzy best friend.

All that greeted her were folded clothes, made beds, tidy rooms, and clean dishes. When she caught notice of the note left on the kitchen counter, relief and worry flooded over her. The relief was that Orihime hadn't been kidnapped by some random guy, but she worried about where her bubbly friend had gone. Orihime had left her phone, so she couldn't contact her.

Tatsuki sighed in exhaustion as she thought about her hard-headed friend. She figured Orihime probably wanted to make herself useful, so that she would not be a burden. That was the reason why she had done all those housework.

Her mind then drifted to the note her friend had left. Orihime most likely had to meet up with someone problematic, and didn't want her to worry, so she left the vague note. The girl had always been so kind and gentle. She didn't want others to worry about her, nor did she want others to feel sad, so she lied about her feelings to keep everyone happy.

Her lies had always been virtually impossible to see through. They were cleverly casted, and she normally lied about others related things along with the central lie. The ability wasn't surprising, as she had to lie to survive. For as long as Orihime had been alive, she had to lie for money, for her own life, for everything. Even Tatsuki, who had been her friend for so long, wasn't able to detect her lies perfectly.

The girl spoke her mind normally, including her insanely far-fetched fantasies. But when it came to something that would potentially hurt anyone, she would lie. With all her effort and will power, she would carry on lying. Even if it was killing her on the inside,

She would lie. With a happy smile on her face and a bright, cheerful tone,

She would lie.

Tatsuki sighed once again in exasperation. She knew that there was nothing she could do now, but wait and believe that Orihime would take good care of herself.

Just as it had been for the last ten years.

* * *

"So, basically, you just have to say that you're his niece, and then you can go."Ichigo said, as he approached Isshin's room with Orihime.

"That's it?" asked Orihime, surprised that the man was willing to pay a hundred million yen for such a small task.

"Yes." Came the short, curt response, as they stepped into Kurosaki Isshin's room.

Orihime was shocked by the lack of relatives inside the room. It was large and empty, except for a man surrounded by all types of medical monitors, who she suspected to be the man's father. She felt sorry and pity for the man. He had made a wrong decision, and he had been beating himself up for it. She took a look at the sickly man, and then decided she would help the man as hard as she could.

Ichigo stood at one side of the bed, with Orihime standing timidly beside him. Ichigo gently shook his father, and stired him from his slumber.

"Hey, Dad… Look who we've got here." Ichigo said, gesturing to Orihime.

Isshin's eyes flew open at the words, and looked at Orihime's direction weakly. He couldn't believe his eyes. Here, a splitting image of Rangiku was staring at him with worry and joy in her eys. "Is she…" he asked weakly.

"Yes, Uncle Isshin… I am…" Said Orihime, smiling lightly. She wanted to sooth the man's aching soul. "I have been fine in these years. Thank you for caring about me…" She continued, as tears welled up in her eys.

"Now don't you go dying on me… We've only just met and I want to know more about Uncle Isshin! Live! Uncle Isshin!" The girl pleaded.

Ichigo was amazed by the emotions displayed by this girl. Without his instructions, she had done everything he had wanted her to. If he hadn't known better, he would have believed that the girl genuinely cared for the old man.

Isshin's eyes closed a bit, and he murmured softly, "Now, now, uncle's gonna try as hard he could. Don't cry, okay?" He tried to reach up and take her hand, but he was too weak to do so.

Then, turning to his son, Isshin croaked, "Thank you, Ichigo."

And with that, his eyes drifted close.

Orihime stared at his still form, eyes widening. That was it. He had died. She had been useless in saving him, and she had failed. She couldn't save this man. She bit back a sob as tears escaped her eyes. Her body began shaking uncontrollably, and she could feel her legs give up on her. She clenched the rail of the bed in support, and said to Ichigo, "I'm sorry… I could not help you."

Ichigo's eyebrows flew skyward as he heard the sentence. "What did you mean?" he asked. He was bewildered by this girl's convincing emotions, and was beginning to feel annoyed. She didn't have to show all those emotions. The act was going too far.

"He's dead, isn't he?" shakily came Orihime's reply.

"Look, I am no medical expert, but if the old man had died, that machine is supposed to give a long beep." Ichigo spat out harshly, pointing at a monitor. He struggled to keep his emotions in check. This girl's fake emotions were getting to him. The girl was mocking his feelings with that fake act, and he was not going to stand it for long.

Orihime felt stupid. She glanced at the monitor, which was still going at steady beeps. She had wanted to help the man so much that she had been caught up in the moment, and was crying for his "death". She knew she had angered him, and she was guilty. "Sorry…" she murmured. She walked to behind him, and sat down on the sofa beside the bed.

Ichigo took a look at the monitors, and was relieved to find that everything about his father had gone back into the "normal" range. _Ishould thank her. _He had seen the girl's downcast expression when he had snapped at him, and he fought against the guilt which was threatening to emerge. _She deserved it._ He said to himself.

_She mocked my feelings, and she deserved it. _

_**So that is how you treat a person who had just saved your dad's life without having to do it? **_

The sudden thought brought him to look at Orihime on the couch. She had snuggled up on the sofa, and she was trembling from the cold. Sighing, he walked over to her, took off his coat, and put it on top of her trembling frame. He felt a smile tug at his lips as she stopped trembling.

Her bangs covered her face, and his fingers ached to brush them away. He reprimanded himself for it, but allowed them anyway. _Just this once. He told himself. _He marveled at how soft her skin was when he brushed away her bangs. His fingers lingered on her smooth face, not wanting to leave. However, he forced himself to pick up his fingers.

A serene smile was on her face. She seemed so peaceful, so happy. He felt warmth spread to is whole body from his heart. _She looks cute when she sleeps._ He thought.

Ichigo was instantly horrified by his mind's remark. He had only just met this girl, and his mind already registered her as his rightful cousin. He knew he had to wake her up and get her to leave, but seeing her peaceful form, he didn't have the heart to do it. _I'll just have to wake her up in the morning, I guess._ He told himself.

And with that, he took a seat beside her, and fell asleep also.

It had been a long day for the two of them.

* * *

Finished the chapter! Yay! I have to say once again that I probably can't update in the next week or two! Whether you liked it or hated it, leave a review! I wanna reach 40 when I next update! But that's just me and my demanding personality... REVIEW!

Copper! I know that you're back from spring break already! Review this and the last chapter!


	5. The Start

I have fnally finished this chapter! You see, my computer broke down, so I had to re-write everything from scratch. Thank god I don't finish every chapter in advance, or I'll be dead. I'm really happy everyone liked the idea From this point on, the story's going to get complicated, so... Stay tuned! And as for people who have read the Korean drama I have mentioned, you may have probably realized that I have changed stuff. I changed them because it would have seemed OOC if Ichigo/Orihime had done those feats.

This chapter is dedicated to **Lunar Iris**, for sticking with me since my last story!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Which is why in Chapter 351, Orihime didn't kill Ulquiorra.

* * *

The nurses, doctors, and patients sidestepped and hurried away, as a slender, dark-skinned woman stormed down the hallway with a blonde man in tow.

"Out of my way!" she would scream at every person who got in her way, and the man behind her would mutter a hushed sorry.

Five minutes into her furious rampage, the pair arrived at room 3017, and the woman kicked the door down.

* * *

_It's so warm…_ thought Orihime, as she snuggled closer to the source of her warmth. _Funny… I didn't have another one of those scary dreams last night… I must have been too tired…_ With the thought, she trailed back to sleep.

_It's so warm… _Ichigo thought sleepily, as she stirred in his sleep. Something warm was on his lap, and it felt soft and soothing to the touch. His fingers inched their way to its surface, and he was surprised by the smoothness and softness of it. _I don't remember there being any cushions on the sofa… _His mind drifted off, going to fall back to sleep, when…

BAM!!! The door was broken down, causing Ichigo to spring up from his seat, eyes snapping open. Ichigo was horrified, but for two entirely different reasons.

One, his aunt, Kurosaki Yoruchi, and his uncle-to-be, Urahara Kisuke, had broken down the door, and Yoruichi looked like she may kill someone anytime.

Two, the main reason, was that he had discovered the true identity of the comforting "cushion" – It was none other than Inoue Orihime.

The girl who had posed as his long-lost cousin under his request.

The girl whom he had forgotten to send away the previous night.

"How is he?" Yoruichi demanded. "They sounded pretty urgent on the phone, and Kisuke here-" She shot a dirty glare at the man beside her, "decided to do everything in slow motion, and we're so late!"

"Well…" Ichigo muttered, slowly moving to cover Orihime with his body. "He's okay now, and the doctors said he'll be back in no time." He replied, as he remembered the doctor who woke him up late last night. _She was still over there back then… _He recalled.

He was pulled back from his thoughts when the girl behind him rose from her sleep, causing the material of the sofa to rustle.

"Who's there!?" yelled Yoruichi, as she strode past Ichigo, and came face to face with the girl. She pointed at the girl, and screeched, "Who are you and why are you here?!"

Orihime's eyes grew wide, instantly recognized the fact that two strangers were staring at her, and one of them was furious. She stammered, "Oh, my! I was so tired when I finished cleaning the walls that I thought I would take a nap, and I slept all this time away! Excuse me! I have rooms to clean!" With that, she bolted for the door.

However, a large hand weakly held her hand, causing her to turn around.

Kurosaki Isshin was wide awake, hand holding Orihime's. He croaked "You… You are my niece, aren't you? Stay…" He pleaded.

Ichigo's blood froze. He knew that shall the girl slip, the lie would be exposed, and his father's condition would worsen for sure. On the other hand, if the girl refused to stay, his father would get sad, and that may cause his condition to worsen too. The only choice was…

"If she was Rangiku's kid, then why did she lie?" Yoruichi's bluntly questioned.

"Yoruichi… Anybody would be scared if they saw your face just now… She's proably just scared of you…" Kisuke interjected. Then, he glanced over at Orihime, and gently asked, "Is my assumption correct?"

Orihime, unused to such kindness, replied, "That… That's not it. I thought… I thought that I may get in the way of the family… I am something extra, aren't I…" The girl looked at her feet, as if that was really the case.

Kurosaki Ichigo mentally rolled his eyes. _The girl's making me sick._He thought. The large amount of fake emotions was very annoying to him. It didn't once occur to him that the girl was acting for his and his father's sake.

"Oh god, you're such a nice girl!" yelled Isshin with his limited voice, as he pulled Orihime close to him and gave her a full-fledged hug. "Don't worry, my dear niece! We are all welcoming you with open hands! Stay with us for a while!"

Orihime was stunned by his dramatic outburst, and even more so at the fact that he was inviting her to stay with them for a while. She knew that the plea was meant for the "niece" not for Inoue Orihime, but she didn't know what should she do. She turned to Ichigo, seeking approval and support.

"Umm… Okay." At Ichigo's nod, she answered shyly. She was sure she was going to be involved in something very complicated, and she wanted to just run away, but she couldn't. She disallowed herself from following her selfish thoughts. So, she said yes.

Isshin smiled like a child receiving candy. He asked, once again, "One more thing. What's your name?"

"Oh oh! Let me guess." The dark-skinned beauty cried. It was clear that she was trying to make up for scaring the girl earlier on. "Well, it would be something lavish, since it was Rangiku… But Ichimaru-san would probably give you something noble and classy, so I guess your name is… Orihime? The one from the Tanabata legend?"

Orihime's brows shot skyward. "Yes… Dead on… It's Inoue Orihime." However, her mind was somewhere else. _How was she able to guess my name at first try? _She wondered.

Ichigo was shocked as well. _Aunt Yoruichi… Does she already know she's a fake?_ He pondered. His blood froze as he thought of his crafty aunt exposing his scheme to his father.

However, their trains of thought were disrupted by Isshin's introduction sequence. "So, Orihime-chan, let's introduce all these people to you!" he cried. "The one who had just guessed your name is Yoruichi, your mother's youngest sister, and the man beside her is Urahara Kisuke, her fiancé. Karin and Yuzu, my two twin daughters are studying in the USA, and I forbid them to come back, so they're not here… And…that should be it."

Orihime was a bit disturbed by the word "forbid". However, before she had time to stay on the subject, Ichigo lunged at his father, and gave him a angry smile with gritted teeth. Ichigo spoke, slowly and dangerously, "Don't you think you're forgetting someone, old man?"

"Oh yeah! How forgetful of me." Cried Isshin, as if he had really forgotten his own son. "The ugly spiteful punk here is Ichigo, my eldest son! Stay away from him, Orihime-chan, he's a bad influence to you!"

"Oh no!" cried Orihime in surprise, as she quickly began babbling, "Kurosaki-kun has been really nice to me! I think he's really kind!" She beamed at Ichigo. Her smile was radiant, and Ichigo felt his heart flutter. _What the hell was that? _He thought.

"Oh such an amazing smile! You really are Rangiku's child!" Isshin practically screamed, and then promptly fell asleep.

"My, my, he has really worn himself out." Murmured Yoruichi, gazing at her sleeping brother. "What say we go back home first and take a look at your room? If I call them now, it will be ready when we get back." She asked Orihime.

"Oh.. Okay…" answered Orihime unsteadily. Then, she followed Yoruichi out of the room, behind Ichigo.

Ichigo knew this was the start of a very troublesome and complicated ordeal. Everything could come crashing down should they make even the slightest of a wrong step. It would be hard, but it was the only way. _The only way I can keep everyone safe and happy. _Ichigo told himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, over at Tatsuki's house, a man with deep grey eyes and shoulder-length black hair was pressing the doorbell, waiting patiently for a response.

"Coming!" Shouted Tatsuki, who was running to the door.

Tatsuki flung the door open, only to come face to face with Inoue Sora.

"So… How have you been, Arisawa-chan?" asked Sora nervously.

"Save it. Orihime had come here, but she's out now." Tatsuki answered coldly. _Don't beat him up. Orihime will be upset._ She kept reminding a deep breath to calm herself down, she stepped back into the house, leaving the door open. "Are you gonna come in or not?" She spat.

"Thanks Arisawa-chan, you're the best." Answered Sora gratefully, as he hurried into the house, closing the door

The atmosphere inside the kitchen was unbearable, with Sora cooking, and Tatsuki stroding to and fro in the dining room, trying to work her anger off, as not to kill her best friend's beloved brother.

"So what kind of trouble did you get Orihime into this time? Seeing as you down right ABANDONED her, that must be pretty serious, right?" asked Tatsuki through gritted teenth, as she bent her neck, creating a very loud _CRACK_ noise.

"I borrowed a hundred million yen from the yakuza. I didn't want to leave her alone… But being with her would only place her in greater danger…" Sora answered sadly, while he stirred the pasta in the pot.

"That better taste goooooood, or I will peel your fingers off one by one." Threatened Tatsuki, having given up trying to conceal her annoynce.

"Yes Miss." Answered Sora playfully, as he continued cooking. "Say, where's Orihime?" He asked.

"She's out. She left a note saying she had to go out, and left." Replied Tatsuki.

"I see." Came the short reply from Sora.

"What? Aren't you worried? Your sister has disappeared for unknown reasons!" Exclaimed Tatsuki, surprised and angered by the man's indifference.

Calmly came Sora's response. "There's nothing to worry about. Orihime is a strong and smart girl. I have faith in her."

"Gah!" Feeling aggravated because she lost a chance at condemning the man, Tatsuki let her back rest on the sofa with a plop.

"You know what you need? A wife! So you can stop pulling Orihime into your troubles!" yelled Tatsuki.

"It's not like I have a choice…" Answered Sora. "I want her to grow up in a steady environment too… All done! Come eat it, Arisawa-chan!" The mood of his tone switched suddenly, as he held two plates of spaghetti bolognaise in his hands.

_Like brother, like sister. _Thought Tatsuki, as she rolled her eyes mentally. _They even lie in the same way._

* * *

"Wow!" Exclaimed Orihime, as she stepped into the living room of the grand Kurosaki mansion. She had been stunned by the sheer size of the mansion, but now that she had set foot into it, she was totally astonished.

The front door led to a beautiful foyer, with a large shoe cupboard on the right. Orihime couldn't help peeking at the contents of the cupboard when she had put her shoes inside. Tennis shoes, running shoes, black leather shoes, comfty-looking loafers, it was a shoe encyclopedia inside. She was slightly puzzled by the lack of high-heels though. _Surely, there would be a woman-of-the-house, right? _She dared not ask the question directly, so she asked herself.

Yoruichi opened the door leading further into this fascinating castle, and the sight caused Orihime's mouth to hang wide open. The door led to a spectacular living-dining room, larger and more luxurious than Orihime could ever have imagined.

The dining area was on the left. A large table of crystal, surrounded by ten chairs was in the middle of the area. A magnificent crystalline chandelier was situated on the ceiling, so large that Orihime feared it may drop any second. Two large cupboards, one of glass and the other of wood, occupied one side beside the table. Fine pieces of china and utensils were displayed in the wooden one, while small pieces of art were showcased in the one made of glass. From the ceiling, wall, to the carpets, everything was of a radiant white colour, giving the room a sense of cleaniness.

Two wooden staircases, no doubt of the highest quality, separated the dining area from the living area. They were illuminated by candle-shaped lamps on the wall.

Before Orihime could have a chance to inspect the living area, Nel came down from the staircase, saying, "Orihime-sama. Your room is ready. Would you like to take a look of it now?" She said.

Looking to the elders for approval, Orihime's face lit up when Kisuke said, "Go ahead. Check your room out." She immediately took off after Nel, and went up the staircase.

"I'll keep an eye on them" muttered Ichigo, as he strode past his aunt to follow the girls.

Orihime could only vaguely remember the hallway which led to her room. _Don't get too attached. You'll have to leave sooner or later. _She reminded herself. However, all coherent thoughts flew out of the window as she entered her room.

The main colour was a warm, creamy yellow. A queen-sized bed was located in the left side of the room, beside a white desk on which a computer sat. A tiny nightstand with a lamp on top was put next to the bed. Various bookshelves and wardrobes lined the walls, and a large picture was hung beside her bed. A large TV was opposite to the bed. Another door, leading to her own bathroom, was situated on the left side of the room.

"Do you like it? Or is it too plain for your tastes?" asked Nel worriedly.

"Oh, no! I love all these! It's so beautiful!" Exclaimed Orihime truthfully, and began dancing all around the room. While she danced, positive thoughts went through her head. _Perhaps this would end up all right. It's not so bad after all!_

As she thought on, Ichigo stepped into the room, a deep scowl on his face.

_What a materialistic girl. _Thought Ichigo, as he looked on. He cleared his throat, and Nel quickly responded, "I'll leave the two of you alone for a while." With that, she hurried out of the room.

_I hope Ichigo won't scare the girl too much _She thought.

Orihime had also stopped her dancing. She stared at Ichigo unsurely, and chewed on her lower lip as she waited for him to speak.

Somehow, the silence further worsened Ichigo's mood. He took a deep breath, then spoke calmly, "Since the situation has ended up this way, let's make the best out of it. I will employ you as my cousin's doppelganger, and in return, you will receive a monthly salary. Are we clear?"

Orihime was a bit scared by his authoritive tone, but she managed to stutter out a nervous "Yes." She quickly recovered, and her eyes drifted over to his face. She was intrigued by his scowl and hair colour. _His scowl's so adorable! And his hair is so bright and warm! Like the sun. _

Her thoughts did not wander away very far, because when Ichigo noticed Orihime staring at him, his cheeks flushed, and he yelled, "And next time, try to be less fake around my family, alright?" He refused to feel the pang of guilt that had sprang up when he met her wounded look. She quickly covered it with a smile, and said, "Yes sir yes!" And with that, he left the room.

"Seems that it won't be easy after all." Muttered Orihime to herself, as she lay down on the bed. "But I can't give up! Work hard, Inoue Orihime!" She cheered herself on.

* * *

I'm sorry if the last part seemed a bit awkward. I really wanted Ichigo to be a bit of a bastard, so... I can't say. Or I'll be spoiling the story. ANd yeah, I'm going against the convention of Orihime falling for Ichigo first. But don't worry, they're not in love yet. They just share great chemistry. It's gonna be a looooooooooooooooooooong time before either admits their feeling for one another. And even longer for them to confess. *winks*

Blitch, you've got your update! Now give me another chapter!

Now review! I want reviews! I am so demanding about my reviews. XD Please review though. I will be really happy.


	6. The Meal

Heyhey! It's me! I have finished yet another chapter! Don't you just LOVE Bleach 352? Even when Ichigo has turned into a monster, he still wants to protect Orihime! Isn't that neat?

This chapter is dedicated to copper! Keep going, girl! We all love you! We are all here to back you up!

And here, I present to you chapter 6 of my story, She Who Lies!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach. Which is why when I go on vacation next Friday, I would not be able to read the new Bleach chapter.

* * *

Urahara Yoruichi sprawled out in the sofa, holding up her engagement ring and staring at it. She continued to stare at it as her mind travelled back in time. Yes, she could just remember how it was when her younger sister told her about children's names…

"_Yoruichi-nee-chan!" cried a small Rangiku, as she ran towards a miniature Yoruichi. The running girl had long, wavy strawberry-blonde hair, and at the age of ten, she already possessed quite a large bosom._

"_What?" Asked the then thirteen-year-old Yoruichi lazily. Unlike now, her hair was let down, and she was lying below the shades of a tree._

"_I just thought of names for my future daughters! You want to hear about them?" Cried Rangiku merrily. _

"_Why do you know you will have daughters anyway? You may have sons!" Replied Yoruichi._

_Choosing to ignore her sister, Rangiku carried on, "I am going to name my second daughter Orihime! It's from the Tanabata legend! Isn't it cool?" Rangiku announced proudly. _

"_Yes indeed. I am so proud of you" Dryly came Yoruichi's response. However, something caught her attention, and intrigued, she questioned, "Say… Why second? How about your first child?" _

"_I'm not gonna say! You will just say it's silly anyway. It will be a secret between me and Gin!" Rangiku blushed, before turning and running away to look for her precious Gin._

Yoruichi frowned in confusion. _I'm sure she said she was going to name her second child Orihime… _She thought. _Oh well. _She shrugged. _It's not like she's famous for NOT changing her mind anyway…_ She had volunteered to guess Orihime's name simply because she wanted the girl to continue her conversation with her late sister. _And she still managed to keep this one last secret from me. _Thought Yoruichi.

* * *

Meanwhile, Inoue Orihime was sitting on her bed, but she was not enjoying the softness of it. _Was I being phony? _She questioned herself. She thought about how she had felt at the hospital, and she knew she was showing her true feelings. She couldn't understand why she was called a fake. After several minutes of constant thinking, she thought she knew why.

_I must have angered him. _She thought guiltily. _I had acted like Inoue Orihime, and not like his cousin. I should be more discreet with my feelings from now on._

As she thought on, A soft knock came from the door, and a semi-familiar voice asked, "Can I come in?"

Still deeply embedded in her thoughts, Orihime answered absent-mindedly, "Yes, please come in."

The door was slowly opened, and then closed silently. It wasn't until Orihime noticed a pair of olive eyes staring at her than she broke away from her trance.

"Thinking about what Ichigo had said?" Asked Nel gently, as she moved closer to sit on Orihime's bed.

"Yes…" Answered Orihime timidly, a bit embarrassed that she had been totally read by the woman.

"Look, I don't know what he had said, but don't think much about it. He sometimes blurt out things he doesn't mean. He may seem scary, but he's actually quite a nice person." Said Nel.

"I know what he had meant by that. Don't worry." Orihime pulled a smile onto her face, and continued, "I will work hard!"

"Atta girl. Now let's get you prepared for tonight. There's a guest coming." Said Nel, tugging Orihime into the bathroom.

"Wait! I need to make a phone call first!" cried Orihime, remembering her best friend. Pulling out her phone, she hastily dialed Tatsuki's phone number, and waited for her to pick up.

"Arisawa residence," a familiar male voice voiced over the phone.

"Nii-chan! Is that you?" Cried Orihime, washed over with relief. So many things had happened, but the fact that her brother was missing was still drifting around in her head.

"Orihime? Where are you?" Asked Sora intently.

"Nii-chan! I am so relieved!" Orihime paused, pondering whether she should reveal the newest trend of events to her brother. Nel was in the bathroom waiting for her, so she can tell him everything, but…

_I won't tell him about this. _She decided. _He would be worried, and I promised I won't let anybody in on that. _So, she lied, "I found a job which provides free lodging! I stayed there last night, and it was great! I have to go now!" And with that, she shut down her phone, not allowing her brother to question any further.

"Nel-san! I'm ready!" Orihime called out, before walking to the bathroom.

* * *

A man was standing at the doorstep of a large house. He was fidgeting. He had heard that those two people would be staying here for a while. _If they are here…_ He prepared himself for the utmost humiliation, and pressed the doorbell.

"Coming!" A shout came from inside the house. Within moments, the door was opened and a dark-skinned woman with purple hair and yellow eyes appeared in the doorway. The man considered running away, but now he had no choice.

"Ooh! Renji-chan! It's so nice of you to come! Come in!" Urged the woman.

The Kurosaki Manor was the same as always, he noticed. "Get your sorry ass down here, Ichigo!" Roared Yoruichi.

Ichigo's grumble can be heard even all the way down the staircase. Nonetheless, he had come down the staircase, and when he caught sight of Renji, he opened his mouth, and said loudly, "Renji! How did Nanao catch you this time."

"Is that the way you greet a friend who has disappeared for five months?" Asked Renji teasingly. "But I'll let you in on the facts. This time around, I managed not to get caught at the airport. She pinned me down at the bus station."

"Wow, that's an improvement." Answered Ichgo sarcastically. "I have to tell you I am happy that you came though." Added Ichigo.

"So you are finally admitting that I am a great friend?" Proudly came Renji's response. Nice decision, Kurosaki Ichigo. If you had not admitted that, I may choose not to sign the papers with the Kurosaki Hotels."

"As if you wouldn't… Seeing that 30% of your company's profit comes from collaboration projects with us… And I only said that because she was a control-freak." Ichigo retorted.

"Hey! That was cold!" Cried Reni, feigning hurt. He opened his mouth to continue the shouting match, but he was interrupted by a call of "Dinner is served!" from Kisuke.

As Kisuke, Yoruichi, Ichigo, and Renji were seated around the table, Renji pointed at an empty seat, and questioned, "Say, who's that seat for?"

"Isshin-san isn't back already, is he?" Renji asked in horror.

"Noo… Isshin will come back after a few days." Answered Yoruichi. "That seat, is for a gorgeous young woman who is the daughter of Rangiku."

"You mean you have actually found her?" Asked Renji in surprise. "Hasn't she been off the grid for the last, like twenty years? Are you even sure she is the real deal?"

"Twenty-three years, to be exact. And yes, we are sure. The information has never been released to the media. Only Nel, me, and the Kurosaki family knows." Answered Urahara.

Before Renji could raise any other inquiries, Nel's singsong voice sang from upstairs, "She is ready!"

Everyone's eyes turned to the staircase, and slowly, but surely, a pair of slender legs began making their way down the staircase. As Orihime's form appeared clearly at the bottom of the staircase, everyone's mouth went wide open. Except for Renji, who was positioned where Orihime is blocked by a column.

"I'll excuse myself." Whispered Nel, who slipped through the front door.

Orihime's bangs were brushed to frame the side of her face, unlike before, wen she had used them to cover up her face. They were secured by the ever-present blue flower-shaped hairclips. Light makeup was put on, which accentuated her already beautiful eyes. She wore a long, white dress which hugged her body. For some reason, the dress seemed to be chosen specifically to conceal her feminine curves.

"So… Where's the scary witch-lady?" Asked Orihime innocently, as she turned the corner.

"What… did you just say?" Asked Kisuke unsteadily, while he struggled to hold back a giggle. Meanwhile, Renji hid his head under the table, struggling not to laugh out loud.

"Nel-san said that there would be a scary witch-lady here! Well, actually Nel-san said psychopathic crazy manipulative control-freak evil sociopathic bitch, and that if I did anything to cross her, I would surely suffer a painful death!" She finished with a dramatic thrust of her hands into the air.

Renji burst out in laughter. "That… Was SO true!" He managed to stutter out.

"Wait a minute… Are you…" murmured Orihime, as she walked closer to the table. Then, she pointed at Renji, and yelled merrily, "Ah! I knew it! It's Abarai-kun!"

At the mention of his name, Renji looked up from his laughing fit, and then yelled, "Hey! You are Inoue-san!"

"You two knew each other?" Asked Urahara amusedly.

"Well, we met on the plane!" Came Orihime's cheerful response.

"She never told me she was the long-lost cousin of the Kurosaki Family though." Renji said. "Now why was that? Come to think of it, you said that you were chased around by thugs too, didn't you?" He inquired.

At this point, the originally silent Ichigo's head shot up. _This is dangerous. _He thought. _If she isn't careful, we're all going to perish._ He tried to get the message across by his eyes.

At the question, Orihime looked towards Ichigo. She could sense the tension and anxiety inside him. She gave him a soft smile. _Don't worry. It will be okay. _It seemed to , she was just as afraid as him, but she controlled herself. _I have to be strong. The lie cannot be exposed, or… _

She moved her head back towards Renji, and replied, "This is because Kurosaki-kun had talked to me about personal safety on the phone! He told me that I cannot tell anyone about my true identity, or I may get kidnapped! He also warned me that the yakuza may want to kidnap me for money."

"I see." Answered Renji curtly.

While they were talking, Kisuke had gone into the kitchen, and took out the dishes. "Since Nanao-san isn't here today, I won't bother with separating the dishes! Eat up!" He said.

Orihime was mesmerized by the large variety of food. There was mixed paella, spaghetti bolognaise, sushi, fuyung egg, Indian curry, and escargot cooked with garlic. Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese… Orihime couldn't even recognize some of the dishes.

"Sorry if it seems kind of messy." Said Kisuke, as he kneaded the back of his head. "I was told to prepare dishes of every cuisine for Nanao-san. I couldn't cook all of them well though." Then, he laughed goofily, pointing at a plate of burnt noodles.

"What's with the goofy laugh!" Screeched Yoruichi, as she smacked Kisuke on the head. "Pick the better ones for Orihime NOW!" She commanded.

While Kisuke busily picked up different portions of different food onto her plate, Orihime looked around for something. "Is there something you want to taste?" Asked Yoruichi gently.

"No… I just want to know… Is there any wasabi?" Asked Orihime.

"Oh, for the sushi?" Yoruichi turned around, and handed Orihime a bottle of wasabi.

To everyone's surprise, when Orihime was handed the plate from Kisuke, she squeezed wasabi all over every dish. "Mmmmm… Delicious!" cried Orihime, as she tasted the wasabi-covered paella.

Ichigo's heart nearly stopped beating. _Nobody eats like that!_ He thought. _That's it… He lie's going to be exposed! _

"Wow… I guess Rangiku's tastes are hereditary…" Murmured Yoruichi.

"You mean Aunt Rangiku ate like that?" Astonished, Ichigo asked indignantly.

"As a matter of fact, she did. Say, Orihime, do you want any red bean paste?" Calmly came Yoruichi's response, as if it were an everyday thing. She gently handed a can of red bean paste to Orihime, which the girl quickly used to cover her dish.

"Say, Kisuke-san, why are you cooking? Where are the cooks and maids?" Asked Renji, desperate to drive the topic away from the eerie eating habits of a dead person.

Before Kisuke could answer, Yoruichi cut in, "Well, since we're staying here, and our business in the States are doing well, so we figured we would take care of everything here and give them a break."

Kisuke interjected, "Not to mention Yoruichi wants to hold our wedding here-" He was hit by his fiancée. "SILENCE! Who told you to speak?" roared Yoruichi.

"Yes… Yoruichi…" murmured Kisuke, as he rubbed his newly formed sore spot.

* * *

After the meal, Renji has left hastily after a phone call. Apparently, he hadn't finished the papers Nanao had asked him to.

Yoruichi had carried the dishes back into the kitchen, and had started washing up immediately, despite Orihime's pleas to help.

Kisuke was banished to the library, after Yoruichi said that the food was cooked poorly, even though everybody agreed that the food tasted fine.

So Orihime and Ichigo were left alone in the living room, where they desperately looked for appropriate things to talk about.

Ichigo was flipping through the channels, but his mind wasn't on what was on the screen. Thousands of questions were running through his head, but he couldn't ask them there, where they could easily be heard by his uncle and aunt. His brows furrowed while he thought of ways to talk somewhere private.

To his surprise, the girl asked suddenly, "Kurosaki-kun! I haven't showed you my room yet, have I? Let's go!" Without waiting for a reply, she tugged Ichigo up the stairs, and into her room.

"So, what do you want to ask me?" asked Orihime, as she shut the door of her room.

"How… How did you know?" Asked Ichigo, totally astonished that she had just read him like a book.

"So, what did you want to ask me again?" Asked Orihime again. Even she herself did not know how she knew. She just sort of… Guessed. _I might have some sort of special power! _She pondered.

However, before she had time to extend her fantasy, Ichigo answered, "Why could you lie like that?"

Orihime didn't want to answer the question. However, she did not want to reject answering either. So, she pretended that she had misheard the question, and answered, "Oh, why did I lie like that? Well, you see, since Nel-san bought the tickets for me, I figured it wouldn't seem weird if you had given me advice, and…"

"No. I asked why CAN you lie like that, not DID." Ichigo cut in harshly. Even though he had cut in, he was secretly surlrised by the complexity and thoughtfulness of the lie, and that added to his curiosity about why she could lie the way she could.

Orihime looked to the ground, and tangled up her fingers. She bit her lip, and pondered whether she should lie or not. _He seems to be trustworthy… And he's going to find out sooner or later… _She argued. Then, plastering a fake smile on, she answered happily, "I can lie like that because of my brother! My parents aren't here anymore, so we are all each other have! Since we are always getting into trouble, I had gotten used to lying all the time!"

"But can't you feel any guilt at all?" Shocked, Ichigo asked.

"I used to, but now… I don't feel it anymore. I guess I have gotten used to it." Replied Orhime, whose face lit up.

"I can't stand people who lie without remorse." Ichigo blurted out abruptly. "Do you have any idea how many consequences your lies may cause? You can't just lie whenever you want to!" By the end, he was practically yelling.

Oihime flinched from his outburst. She tried to pull her smile back on, but to no avail. So, instead, she looked him in the eye, and answered steadily, "I have to."

"What…" Ichigo was shocked by her determination. He was also angered by the fact that she had practically ignored him. "Fine. Lie however you want. Your lies would land you in deep trouble one day, and I won't give a damn." He stormed out of the room, and slammed the door shut on the way out.

Orihime's eyes followed him on his way out. _What have I done wrong this time? _She asked herself.

* * *

And that marks the end of the chapter! I am going to go on vacation this Friday, so I won't be able to update in the following week. I spent quite a lot of time on this chapter because my ideas were hard to get on paper.

Please review! If I get enough reviews, I may upload another chapter before I go on vacation!


	7. The Start of a New Day

Hello, my lovely readers! I said I am going to write another chapter before I go on vacation if I get enough reviews, didn't I? And here it is! With all the packing up and preparation, I didn't get include as much things as I wanted, and it's a bit short! But at least I updated, right? I will be back after a week!

Thanks go to everyone who has reviewed! I think I will include a review-reply section next chapter! (I have always wanted to try that with more reviewers)

This chapter is dedicated to Blitch, for updating her story before I go on vacation!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach. However, by some weird luck, I managed to read the latest chapter before I had to leave.

* * *

Orihime twisted and turned, but she could not go to sleep. She had done the best she could, so why her employer still got angry? _I must have done something wrong. _She blamed herself. _Maybe I should apologize tomorrow… _She considered.

* * *

Ichigo was not faring any better. Thousands of thoughts were flying around in his head, and he was starting to develop a headache.

However, one thing was sure. He was guilty. He felt guilty for the way he had treated her during their little conversation after dinner. He had noticed that something has changed when she answered his first question. There were no dramatic gestures, nor was her happy tone believable. And to add on top of that, he had harshly cut in when she had tried to avoid the question. _You have practically forced that out of her. _He accused himself.

And his outburst… He felt terrible about it now, and he knew that he had let his anger get out of control. When he had heard what she had said… He couldn't help it. He just opened his mouth, and yelled. _But that attitude to lying has got to change. _He thought stubbornly. _Or… _He shook his head violently, as if to rid himself of that bad memory.

And the glimmer of fear when he had yelled at her, and the fact that she had tried to conceal it… That was the worst. And her remark unsettled him. She made it seem like that she _had_ to lie. _What if she really has some reason that forces her to lie? _He questioned himself. _That can't be. _He bitterly revoked. _People who lie like that are all the same. She's a big fat liar, that's all. _He told himself.

However, the look on her face still bugged him. The determination seems to be covering something. _Desperation… Maybe helplessness? _He couldn't put his finger on it, but it still bothered him nonetheless. _It's none of my business anyway. I shouldn't care. _And he gave up.

_What if she blows the act intentionally? _His blood froze at the idea. _She wouldn't… would she? _He questioned himself. _Nah… She wouldn't… No girl in her right state of mind can refuse living this mansion like a princess, never having to work…_

_But to be safe, I better apologise though… _He was instantly disgusted by his idea. _No, I would rather die than to apologize to someone like her. _

With that thought in his mind, he steeled his resolve, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_**Where… Where am I? **_Orihime thought. _She was in a dark hallway, and there were no doors beside her. _

_Then, she heard footsteps behind her. Forsome reason, she felt that her body was freezing up. __**I mustn't let them catch me. **__She thought. She didn't even know who the "them" were, but she knew that she had to escape. _

_**This is a dream. **__The more rational part of her mind said. __**Wake up, Orihime, wake up! **__She commanded herself. She closed her eyes and reopened them again. _

_Nothing changed. She was still in the dark hallway, except that the footsteps were getting louder and louder. __**They're going to catch me! **__Horrified, she thought. _

_Then, an arm snaked from behind her, turned her around forcefully, but before she could see anything, she was hoisted up into the air by her ankles. She tried to escape, but her attempts were futile. She screamed and cried, but the hand was too strong. She could not break free. __**Nii-chan! **__She thought. __**Save me!**_

Inoue Orihime's eyes shot wide open. _It's these nightmares again… Why won't they ever disappear? Do I have some sort of mental illness? _

Then, she took notice of the unfamiliar surroundings. She shot up on her bed, and thought in terror,_ I have been kidnapped! _She scrambled onto the floor, then remembered, _Oh yeah… I am in Kurosaki-kun's house. I am supposed to be his cousin now! _

She took a look at her room again. _They have prepared such a nice room for me, just because they think I'm their relative. _She thought guiltily. _I'm giving them so much trouble, and with Isshin-san being sick, they already have their plates full… I have to make myself useful to make up. _She decided. _It's the only way I can be less of a liability here. _She changed out of her pajamas, and headed down to the kitchen.

_Hmm… 5:30 am. Everybody's still not awake yet. I have time to whip up a magnificent breakfast! _She thought excitedly.

She checked the fridge and the cabinets. _Hmm… Eggs, flour, butter, jam, milk… Leftover sausages from Kisuke-san's meal last night… Oh! There's a loaf of bread over there. _She checked the inventory mentally.

She took out a large bowl, and put a bit of butter, flour, milk, and water into it. She used a large whisk to mix them together, then she put the batter into the fridge. _Okay… One down, three to go. _

She cracked the eggs one by one, and beat them in another bowl. She added a little milk into the misture as well. Then, she took out two onions, and began chopping it up. It stung her eye to do so, but she proceeded. In the end, teary-eyed, she managed to cut it up.

_Okay! Now next… _She reminded herself of the next step.

* * *

Yoruichi walked down the stairs, tugging Kisuke along. She was woken up by the sweet aroma of food, and she decided if she couldn't get any more sleep at 7:00am, neither could Kisuke. Now, together, they embarked on the journey to the kitchen, looking for the source of the smell.

When Yoruichi opened the door, an unexpected sight greeted her. Her niece was whipping a bowl f what looked like pancake batter, while a plate of omelets lay steaming beside her. "Good morning!" cried the happily cooking girl. "How many pancakes would you like, Yoruichi-san, Kisuke-san?"

Before they could open their mouths, Orihime added, "And don't try to snatch the work away from me! Think of it as a sign of gratitude for the yummy meal last night!"

Yoruichi was too stunned to say anything, but Kisuke calmly and merrily replied, "Three for me and three for Yoruichi please." While he said that, he led Yoruichi to the table and sat beside her.

They stared at the plate of omelets on the table. "Yoruichi… Isn't your sister's cooking… famous for…" He dared not finish the sentence, feeling his stomach acting up already. To his utter surprise and amazement, Yoruichi put a little piece of it into her mouth, and said after tasting, "It tastes pretty nice to me." When she finished the sentence, she took a large portion of the food onto her plate, and dug in.

While Orihime was busy frying the pancakes, Yoruichi said to her between bites, "You know, you're different from your mother in this aspect. She used to cook meals filled with wasabi and red bean paste, and…"

Before she could finish her sentence, the reply to her statement was laid onto the table by her niece. "Here! Six regular pancakes for Kisuke-san and Yoruichi-san, and two wasabi-bean paste pancakes for me!" She cried merrily.

The dodgy couple stared at their pancakes. _Surely… She wouldn't mix up our pancakes? _They thought. While they stared suspiciously at their plates, Orihime had already finished hers. A rummage could be heard upstairs, and soon o, Ichigo's frame in a suit was seen, and Orihime rushed to the staircase. "Kurosaki-kun! How many -"

Before she could finish her inquiry, she was knocked onto the floor by his running frame. He did not stop or even look back. He continued his sprint to the door, flung it open, and cried out, "I'm going to work!"

Yoruichi and Kisuke hurried over to Orihime's side. "That bastard thing of a cousin!" Screamed Yoruichi. "When he comes back, I'll make sure he suffers so much, he wouldn't dare ignore you ever again!"

"No, no…" Murmured Orihime in horror. "Kurosaki-kun most likely just didn't see me, that's all…"

"It's my fault for being in his way while he's in a hurry, isn't it?" She added. A sad smile could be seen on her face, but before Yoruichi had the chance to properly analyze it, it was stretched into a large, goofy grin. "Enough with that!" Orihime cried joyfully. "I'll do the washing up now!" She cried happily, while she ran back into the kitchen.

* * *

Sorry it's so short! I'll be gone now! I wanna see lots of reviews and updates by the time I get back, okay?

Oh, and remember, I'm on vacation this week, so I won't be able to R&R your stories! Wish me a happy holiday! XD


	8. The Visit

Hey people! I've got another chapter here! I'm back from my vacation, and I am totally refreshed! This chapter's still a tad short, but worry not, cuz the next gonna be much longer! Also, although this chapter is short, I packed loads and loads of things into it!

Thanks go to everyone who has reviewed! Thanks for your support, people! I will work hard! I dedicate this chapter to each and every one of you this time!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach. That's why Bleach 353 was ichihime-free.

* * *

A black car was zooming along the road. Inside the car sat Kurosaki Ichigo, the Chief Communications Officer of the Kurosaki Hotels. Presently, a deep, deep scowl was on his face. He kept his eyes locked on the road, but his mind was not on the various cars he had just overtaken.

_They must be mistaken. _He thought. When he had seen the e-mail when he had just woken up, that was his immediate thought. Denial. He was outraged and in disbelief. _Even if it's her… She wouldn't dare to… Not after… _These thoughts kept spinning round and round in his head.

So there he was, trying not to drive above the speed limit. He nearly yelled out when he finally reached the hotel building. Once he had successfully parked his car, he flung open the doors and strode to the elevators. He hastily punched the button "23", and waited to arrive at his office.

Nel appeared as the door of the elevator opened. "I know what you're thinking." She started. Ichigo opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off immediately. "The e-mail's real and accurate, and there's nothing you can do to change it. President-sama has restricted your authority so that you can only do the work he specified. Currently, the only item on my list is 'father-son bonding time'."

"I'm going to have a word with the old man." Ichigo spat, as he stepped back into the elevator.

* * *

Meanwhile, Orihime had finished with the breakfast dishes. Yoruichi had banished her from further cleaning, while Kisuke stood guard at the stairs. She sat at the edge of her stairs, pondering how to spend the day.

A poorly-shaped piece of pottery in the glass case caught her eye. She asked, "Say, Kisuke-san, what is that interesting pot in the glass case?"

"Oh, you mean that one?" Answered Kisuke, pointing at the pot in question.

"That pot was made by Rangiku!" Yoruichi cut in, and she continued, "She was already twenty by the time she made this. Isshin broke all the other ones she made when she left, but he couldn't bear to break this one as well." Then, she added sadly. "It was hid in her wardrobe with a birthday message for him."

"I see…" muttered Orihime, as Kisuke and Yoruichi went back to their original posts. _Poor Isshin-san… _Suddenly, an idea came to her head on how to be useful to the Kurosaki family. "I know!" She cried in realization. "I'll go visit Isshin-san!"

"Goodbye Kisuke-san! Yoruichi-san!" yelled Orihime merrily, as she sprinted out of the door. "I'm going to visit Uncle Isshin!"

Kisuke smiled as he watched his niece-to-be run out of the house. "So unpredictable and nice, huh? Just like Rangiku." He murmured. "Almost _too much_ like Rangiku." An ominous grin appeared on his face. "Yoruichi, what do you think?" He asked for his fiancée's opinion.

"I think… That instead of this pot, shouldn't she feel more entranced by this?" She whispered, as she pointed to a picture frame next to the pot.

A picture frame showing a photo of a slit-eyed man with a wide grin, a strawberry blonde woman with a large bosom, and a baby girl.

* * *

"What? What did you say?" Yelled Kurosaki Isshin dramatically, as he talked on the phone. "That bastard son of mine! I will give him a lesson that he wouldn't ever forget!"

As he slammed the receiver down, another man barged in through the door. "Old man! Has the disease corroded your brain? What are you thinking? _She _is coming! We can't allow that! You have to leave the restrictions immediately!" Kurosaki IChigo was royally pissed off. _She_ was going to stay at his hotel, and he couldn't do anything about it.

"And speak of the devil! I have heard what you did with Orihime-chan!" Retorted Isshin, as he childishly pointed his finger at his son. "And who's _her_ anyway? How can there be anyone who's more important than Orihime-chan?"

"_Her."_ Repeated Ichigo grimly.

"You mean… She will…" Isshin stuttered in disbelief. He was shocked by this revelation.

"Yes. _Her._ So do you understand the situation now? Lift the restrictions immediately!" Demanded Ichigo.

"No!" Yelled Isshin, as he recovered from his thoughtful state. "That has nothing to do with me. It's the business of the youth." He stated. "My only concern is Orihime-chan."

"Why, you…" Ichigo grinded his teeth, as he lunged at his father. He was aggravated by his father's stubbornness. _Stupid old man! _He thought. _He doesn't even understand the situation! If she really comes, then, then… _He dared not think about what was going to happen.

"Isshin-san? Are you inside?" A sweet voice put a halt to both of their movements. "Shit! It's Inoue!" whispered Ichigo.

"Hide in the closet!" commanded Isshin. Ichigo followed without complaints, not wanting to be discovered.

Once Ichigo was safely hidden in the closet, Isshin cried, "Come in!" Orihime walked in, and Isshin asked, "So why did you come to see a boring, sick old man, Orihime-chan?"

Orihime was shocked by his statement. "I.. Ijust thought you may be lonely, so…" She muttered insecurely, "I have come to keep you company!" She added merrily.

"Oh, my beautiful niece has come to keep me company! I am so moved!" Tears began drpiing from Isshin's eyes, and he sniffed dramatically. "You must be an angel!"

"Isshin-san! Don't cry!" cried Orihime, as she sped over to Isshin's side.

Kurosaki Ichigo rolled his eyes inside the closet. _They must be the fakest peple in the world. _He thought. Then, he remembered something. _Hey… Didn't that old goat said I did something to her? What had I done anyway? Did someone overheard our conversation last night? _His blood froze at the thought, and he pushed his ear onto the closet door.

"Say, I have heard from Yoruichi that Ichigo shoved you onto the ground this morning. Had he apologized?" Asked Isshin innocently.

"He didn't do it on purpose!" Cried Orihime, not wanting to cause Ichigo any trouble. "It's my fault for being in his way the first place… And he didn't even see me!" Explained Orihime.

But Isshin didn't listen. "So he hadn't, huh? Don't worry, he will, even if I have to force him to!" Cried Isshin.

"There's no need! I don't mind!" Pleaded Orihime.

"Still…" Isshin's voice faltered a bit. "Let's drop the subject for now, shall we?" Asked Isshin. "Say, I feel bad for taking you away from your foster parents for so long. Can you help me call them?"

Orihime was petrified by his request. _Think, Orihime, think! We have to get out of this, or… _"Okay, Isshin-san! But I'll have to prepare my dad first! He may freak out if you talk with him out of the blue! Excuse me for a second." Orihime began dialing, and walked out of the room.

As soon as Orihime was out of the room, Ichigo barged out of the closet. _I have got to stop him. _He thought. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Isshin cut him off, "You know what? I have an idea! You are going to keep Orihime-chan company for today, and I will leave you alone! Agreed?"

Before Ichigo could form a reply, he had to hastily step back into the closet, as Orihime stepped into the room, phone in hand. _What is she doing? _Cried Ichigo mentally. _We're going to get exposed! _He would have jumped out of the closet, hjad it not been the soothing look Orihime sent at his direction. _She knows I'm here… _Even in his state of panic, he was a bit bewildered by the strange girl.

"He's ready!" said Orihime, as she passed the phone to Isshin.

"Yes, Inoue-san? Yes, yes! I am Orihime-chan's uncle! I'm really sorr to take Orihime-chan away from you! Oh, you say it's alright? Thank you very much! In that case, I also plan to keep Orihime-chan till April next year. I'll introduce her to everybody in my company's anniversary party! Don't worry, we'll take good care of her! Goodbye!" And with that, Isshin shut the phone.

"Wow, your father's really understanding!" exclaimed Isshin merrily. "Now, I've got Ichigo to keep you campany! He should be down at the main entrance now! Go! An old man needs his rest!" With a shooing motion by his hand, Orihime left the room.

When she had closed the door, Ichigo slowly walked out of the closet. Sure, he felt guilt tugging at his chest now that he knew he had pushed her onto the ground, but the bigger issue was that the girl had stirred up so many questions again. Even the ones which had been forgotten last night had risen to the surface,

_How did she get away with that?_

_How did she know I was inside the closet?_

_How come she had the same tastes as my dead aunt?_

And so on. As these questions flew around his head, another one popped up, _when had she started calling me Kurosaki-kun? _He had been so taken aback by her sudden change in appearance last night that he had failed to notice when she had changed to calling him Kurosaki-kun.

He was snapped back to reality by his annoying dad. "Hey hey! Earth calling Kurosaki Ichigo? Are you here?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ichigo absent-mindedly replied.

"Soooo… Off you go! Orihime-chan is expecting you, remember?" Isshin sang.

"Oh, yeah!" Ichigo rushed off, not remembering that the girl knew that he was inside the room. He sprinted out of the room.

"Funny… He didn't lash out at me for pushing him around. So he does feel guilty after all…" Isshin muttered, when Ichigo was fully out of earshot.

Midway down the thirty-floor-journey in the elevator, Ichigo snapped back to reality. "Hey… That old man was pushing me around!" But he had other things on his mind. "Bah! I'll not waste any more time with that old goat. I'll just take her somewhere fancy to keep her mouth shut!" His said to himself. However, one part in him knew that, at least partially, he was trying to make up for being so bad to her earlier. _That look she had… _He thought. _It still bothers me… _

While his thoughts went on, he had arrived at the ground floor. The elevator door opened, and his "cousin" was standing at it, a worried expression on her face.

"Kurosaki-kun… I would like you to come with me to see somebody. It's the person who had just posed as my father…" She instinctively flinched, knowing that she would get scolded for leaking the secret.

"Oh, then what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Ichigo quickly strode forward.

"Oh, okay!" Cried Orihime, as she ran to match his pace.

* * *

They were inside Ichigo's car. Ichigo was driving, while Orihime sat beside him, giving occasional instructions. Ichigo wkept his eye intently on the road, but his mind was once again in the far corners of universe. _What? How? Why? _The questions were begging to be let out. _But one thing at a time. _He reminded himself. _I'll settle this first, and then I'll ask my questions._

"Oh, we're here!" Exclaimed Orihime, as they arrived at the familiar-looking house. She flung open the car door, and rushed to the house, while Ichigo followed. She pressed the doorbell twice, and yelled merrily, "Tatsuki-chan~~~ We're here!"

The door was opened in mere seconds. Tatsuki and Ichigo stared at each other.

"You are her friend?" Yelled Ichigo.

"You are the one who had hired her to lie?" Screamed Tatsuki. _God, I should have known. _She shook her head mentally. "Come in first." She ordered.

"So you two knew each other?" Asked Orihime. They sat down at the table, with Tatski sitting next to her, and Ichigo in the opposite side.

"Yeah, we used to go to the same dojo. I pummeled him in every single fight we have had, and somehow, we've managed to keep in touch throughout the years." Answered Tatsuki.

"So, you were the one who talked with my old man this morning?" Ichigo asked.

"Yep, Orihime just told me to act as her dad, and say yes to everything. It wasn't that hard." Muttered Tatsuki. "So, you mind telling me what you two are up to? Orihime only told me somebody hired her to act as his long-lost-something. How did you two met anyway?" Tatsuki tried to conceal her annoyance at Ichigo, but she was doing a poor job.

"Well, you see-" Ichigo started, not wanting to let Tatsuki's anger grow. However, he was immediately cut off by Orihime.

"Kurosaki-kun hired me to work for him! Well, his dad was very sick, so I offered to act as his cousin! Kurosaki-kun saved me from a group of yakuza! Tat how we met!" Orihime blabbered with a squeaky tone.

Tatsuki observed for signs that she had made this up. She couldn't find any, though. "Fine." She spat out.

_She lied again. _Thought Ichigo. _She didn't have to too. Does she have some sort of compulsive-lying disorder? _

"Oh, I'll go pack up the thing I had left now!" Squeaked Orihime, as she quickly went up the stairs.

And that left Kurosaki Ichigo alone in the kitchen with the explosive Arsawa Tatsuki.

* * *

And that's it for the chapter! I know many people think Ichigo has been acting like a jerk, but I swear, he has a reason for it! So don't hate him so much... He's a nice guy. (At least i think so) And Orihime is so nice too... They just show them in different ways. Which is another reason why I love this pairing.

Blitch! I have updated, so it's your turn! Everyone, please review!

I have a stomachache! Bye for now!


	9. The Truth about the Girl

Hey, people! I am back with another chapter, and I'm glad to say this one is much longer than the previous two! Thanks go to everyone who has reviewed, cuz you made my day!

And... Happy Birthday FLOL!

This chapter is dedicated to copper! Summer's getting near, so I am now her proud ex-temporary beta! ^^ Here's to a great betaship!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach. Neither do my best friend, who just went ona date with his crush! And SHE asked him on it! Isn't that great? *Realizes he was caught red-handed babbling, and looks away embarrassed* On with the story...

* * *

There was dead silence in the room. From what he had gathered over the past years, Ichigo knew as a fact that he had better let Tatsuki give the first statement. The silence was unnerving, and he wondred whether he would be beaten to a pulp.

Tastsuki gave a sigh, and started talking. "Look. Even Orihime said she was the one who had offered, I do NOT approve of this. Had I got my point across?" She glared at Ichigo sending shivers down his spine. Then came a nervous nod.

"But since she had chosen to help you herself, and you most likely really did help her get away from the yakuza... I'll let the matter go for now." Tatsuki continued, slowly and thoughtfully.

"But... IF you ever, ever make her cry, or if she shows me any sign that she's mistreated, God help me, I will make sure that you die a slow, painful death!" She stood up at her full height, slammed her hands onto the table, and spat through gritted teeth.

Tatsuki calmed down, and carried on."Look. I know some of the things she does may set you off, but despite that happy face of hers, she's deeply torn up inside. That girl is made of steel. She wouldn't let you know if something bothers her, or if she's unhappy. Just... Be nice to her, okay?"

Ichigo found what Tatsuki had said to be very difficult to believe. _There's no way. _He thought. _The girl's just air-headed, and has a compulsive-lying problem. _But then, he remembered the expression she had held when he had asked her if she had any guilt. _No way... She..._

"You got it?" Asked Tatsuki. "She rarely lets slip any signs of this sort, only when she's extremely distracted, ill, or totally stressed."

"She lies to keep everyone happy. Everyone except herself, that is. I know that you haven't been that nice to her for her lies, and I will let that pass because I know why you act the way you do, but keep this in mind, okay? You are not the only one with issues. I won't tell you about hers, but they exist, okay!" Tatsuki's voice raised a little, but not to a dangerous level.

That, Ichigo wasn't ready to process. _Now that's just ridiculous. That's no way a compulsive-liar like her would be so kind, so selfless, she... She just couldn't put her pride down and ask for help. What a fool. _

"You realize how much of a jerk you have been to her now? I suggest you talk those things over with her. She never could stay angry at anyone, or anything, for that matter." Tatsuki advised. "Ichigo, you're a good guy. I know it. Just now, whatever she did, do not assume anything, alright? The girl's extraordinary. Even if you ask, she may not give you the real answer. Keep asking, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah." Ichigo answered. He did not believe Tatsuki's every word, but he knew he had been too harsh last night. _Not that I am sorry for her though. _He thought stubbornly. _A liar is a liar. That's the way the universe works._

"I'm done!" Orihime's vioce came from upstairs. "Tatsuki-chan, we'll go now, or nii-chan will get back! Let's go, Kurosaki-kun!" She stumbled down the staircase, and ran to the door with Ichigo. "Bye Tatsuki-chan!"

They went back into the car, and Ichigo started driving away from Tatsuki's house. Another question was added to his list. _Why did she want to avoid her brother? _Somehow, that fact made him angry. _He must be worried sick! She's so spoilt! __"_Let's grab some lunch. I'm starving." Stated Ichigo mindlessly, as he drove past a park. Controlling his anger has takena great toll on his emotional expression capabilities. "Where do you want to eat?" He asked, half-expecting an answer of some extravagant fancy restaurant.

Not met with an answer, Ichigo turned to Orihime in the back seat and asked again, "Say, how did you know my aunt used to eat like that? Did Nel told you? Even I didn't know about that!"

"But I really do like eating that way! I have been eating like that ever since I was born!" Answered Orihime in shock.

"Soo... You weren't pretending when you asked for wasabi last night?" Ichigo quickly asked.

"Yeah! It's really yummy! You should try it too, Kurosaki-kun!" She clapped her hands together, and answered cheerfully.

"Oh, really? Fine, I'll take you some place nice. And it isn't far." Ichigo continued driving.

"You don't have to! I mean, it'll be much less expensive if we eat at the hotel, right? And don't you have business to attend to? If it's about the restrictions Isshin-san placed on you, I'll talk to him to have him lift them, there no need to-" Before Orihime could finish her sentence, she was cut off.

"Is it really that much of an annoyance to have lunch with me? I don't have to have lunch with you, you know." Ichigo snapped. He was just trying to be nice to the girl, and she **had **to be so difficult about it. "Look, I'm not going to ask you to pay later, okay?" He snapped. "Geez, I know you don't have that much money and all, but do you really think I am that much of a jerk?"

"You don't have to go through all the trouble. I'll just ask Isshin-san to lift the restrictions." Orihime replied.

Ichigo was offended by the fact that the girl seemed to think that he only wanted to take her some place nice because he had to. However, he was also shocked by this fact. _She... She don't want any more benefits than I am already giving her... _"I want to." Ichigo stated firmly. Although he didn't know it, he was trying to make up for being so terrible to her before. But being thick-headed as he was, he only knew he wanted to.

Orihime was shocked by the short answer, but for some reason... she felt warmness spread inside her. "Thank you." She muttered, looking at the car floor. The rest of the ride passed in comfortable silence.

After a while, the car came to a halt, Ichigo opened the car door for Orihime, and extended his hand, offering to help her out of the car. "Thanks." Muttered Orihime, as she took his hand.

* * *

Tatsuki turned her head up from her instant noodles when the door was opened. Within seconds, Inoue Sora appeared at the doorway. "Sooo... How was your day?" Ask Tatsuki, a little bit too cheerfully.

"You may be Orihime's best friend, but you need a lot of work on covering up emotions. You're guilty. Spill the beans. What happened?" Asked Sora plainly, without even glancing at Tatsuki.

"I've always hated the two of you's ability to read people like books. Tell me, does that run in the family?" Tatsuki fakely replied.

"Don't try to change the subject, and no, we can't read people like books. We get misconceptions at times. So what happened? You will have to tell me sooner or later." Sora stated. Although he seemed indifferent, that was his strategy to make Tatsuki talk. Inside, the anxiety was burning him up. He knew this had to do with Orihime.

"Okay. Orihime came by today, okay?" Shouted Tatsuki.

"What..." Sora was lost in his thoughts. Why hadn't she seen him then? The, he shook his head, and murmured, "She just might have something urgent to do."

"Yeah, I'm sure she has." Tatsuki reinforced the idea in his head. She could see that he knew he was lying to himself. However, she just had to agree with Orihime on avoiding him. _Sometimes, it's better not to know the truth. _Tatsuki thought.

* * *

They sat at the table, and Ichigo watched in shock and terror as Orihime's steak with wasabi and red bean paste on top arrived.

Orihime was quick to catch onto his thoughts. _What if she didn't use to eat like that? Then...__I would have placed everything in jeopardy! _Orihime stared at the dish._It is because of things like this that I almost destroyed everything. Why can't I think things through before doing anything? I am so stupid! _She thought in disgust of herself. _I have to apologise. _"I'm sorry!" She blurted out, as her head shot down in shame.

"What..." Ichigo was shell-shocked. This girl, this girl he had depicted as selfish, spoilt, and evil, was apologising. He didn't even know what for. He hated to admit it, but he was helpless. He wasn't good with people who are apologizing. Greedy, selfish people he can handle well, but when it came to nice people apologizing... He didn't know a thing.

"Excuse me, young lady, but what are you sorry for?" Came behind Ichigo's seat. There was a positively ancient man with an insanely tall toque. The wrinkles on his face were criss-crossed with each other, but his eyes were bright and sharp, like a falcon's. He had a deep, steady voice, like those sages in movies. His face wasn't blank, yet it was very hard to read.

"Excuse me, but you are..." Inquired Orihime softly.

"Do we know you, gramps?" interjected Ichigo abruptly. His shoulders tensed up, and his voice had gone up an octave. Even his scowl was back in full force. He had gone into protector-mode.

"Excuse me, I'm the Head Chef of this restaurant." Answered the old man. "My name is Yamamoto Genryūsai." He turned to Orihime. "Your mother used to eat here a lot, you know." He said. And that started a long, long speech."The first time she came here, she complained about the lack of red bean paste and wasabi. I was the Sous Chef back then but she still made me go to the supermarket to buy them for her. She was the loudest, noisiest 10-year-old I have ever met. She came back the next week though. And the next, and the next. Eventually, she started bringing her boyfriend, her brother, her sister-in-law, and everyone she knew along. Even the last meal she had before she left, was eaten here. That was the first meal she had here without wasabi or red bean paste. Apparently, the pregnancy gave her cravings for conventional food products." He chuckled. "Please excuse my babbling. When you get old like me, you will keep going on and on about your past." He chuckled again.

"So, imagine my surprise when I heard that a girl asked for wasabi and red bean paste. One look, and I can tell that you're Rangiku-chan's daughter." The old man carried on. "So... What were you sorry for just now?" He asked curiously.

Red lights lighted up in Orihime's head. "Oh... It's just that... If it hadn't been for the fact that my mother had the same eating habits as mine, I would have made the situation extremely awkward! And, and, they would be disappointed! I was so mindless! I should have-"

"That would be enough." Yamamoto cut her off. "I'll leave the two of you to your own devices now." He began walking back to the kitchen. Despite his semi-harsh words, there was a happy edge to his voice. "You can come see me if you need help, okay?"

Then, he left the two young people sitting dumbfounded at the table. He pushed open one door, two doors. Then, he picked up the telephone, and began dialing. "You wanted to see what I think about her, right?" The ancient man said. "What I think is that she is most definitely Rangiku-chan's girl." Then, he slammed the receiver down.

* * *

"So, what did he think?" Asked Kisuke, as he cooked lunch for Yoruichi.

"Well, in his words, 'she is most definitely Rangiku's daughter'."Yoruichi replied dryly.

"He's quite sure, isn't he?" Replied Kisuke.

"But if he's sure... Nobody isn't. He's like the psuedo-grandfather of Rangiku." Came Yoruichi's response.

"We'll just wait and see..." Muttered Kisuke.

* * *

Meanwhile, things were not going so well for Orihime and Ichigo's lunch. After Yamamoto's interruption, the meal was finished in haste and in silence. Neither one of them said another word, each too bothered and anxious about the potential threat in the restaurant.

Once they had finished, Ichigo paid the bill, and jumped back into the car with Orihime. "I knew it was a bad idea to come here with you." Ichigo suddenly blurted out. "The one time I had come here, I was told this was the only Western restaurant in Tokyo which supplies wasabi and red bean paste." Said Ichigo, as he gritted his teeth, and balled his hand up into a fist. "I can't believe I couldn't connect the dots... Guess that makes us even." He spat.

"That's not your fault! You couldn't have known." Orihime cried.

"And about last night... I admit that I have problems with lies. And that may have made me act a bit..." Ichigo looked away, and added. _I did not apologise. I just admitted my guilt. _He told himself.

"And I don't blame you for your eating habits either! I mean they're weird, but they won't blow it! Don't beat yourself up over something so trivial! It makes me guilty, you know!" Ichigo started to get worked up. Only after a minute of silence did he realize what he had said. "I mean... Nevermind." Ichigo groaned. There goes his authority over the girl. _Way to go. Show her you have a conscience, and she wouldn't listen to you ever again. _He knew it. To keep people in check, you have to keep up a certain image.

"I'm fine! You did nothing wrong! There's no need to be guilty!" Orihime tried to assure him. Not giving Ichigo a chance to further reprimand himself, she faked cheerfulness, and suggested, "Say, let's go to Rainbow Bridge next!" And off they went.

* * *

Ichigo was confused. There had been so many chances for her to wrap Ichigo around her fingers today, but why didn't she take them? _She's trying to lull me into a false sense of security. _Ichigo came to his conclusion. _Come to think of it... _His eyes snapped open in realization. _I'm so stupid! How could I fall for such a poor act? She faked the guilt to get my sympathy! She caught me off guard! Gah! _He inwardly screamed at himself. _I should have known! _

_But just now, that look on her face... And how she had looked last night... _He recalled, and tried to decipher those looks. After a short while, he gave up. _This girl confuses the hell out of me. _He shook his head, trying to remove those annoying thoughts.

* * *

"We're here!" Yelled the girl happily, as they arrived at the famous bridge. Ichigo had parked at the bank of the river, and they began walking along the bank of the river.

"Walks like this makes you feel better when you're troubled, you know." said Orihime. "Well, visits to places high up are the best, but walks are fine too. So, Kurosaki-kun, are you feeling any better?" She asked suddenly. "Just now, in the car... You're thinking about something. Is it about Kuchiki-san coming to stay at the hotel? I can talk to Isshin-san about it too, you know."

"What?" Ichigo didn't know by which he was shocked more. The fact that she knew he was thinking about something, or the fact that she knew about Rukia.

Orihime seemed to think it was because of the latter. "Well, Renji-kun told me about her. When I overheard you and Isshin-san this morning...I knew it was about her." She looked at the ground, afraid that he would get angry. "You can vent to me about things like these!" Orihime offered. "I promise I won't tell!"

_As if I would trust you. _Ichigo mentally rolled his eyes. "Guess that can't be helped." He muttered. "But hey, why did you avoid your brother this morning?" he changed the topic to one he wanted to know.

"Well... I didn't want him to worry." She confessed. "We were all each other have, but right from the start... I have always made him worry." Orihime looked at the ground, and carried on, "If he knew about this... He would blame himself for making me work in a job like this... I don't want him to feel so bad about himself anymore..." She whipped her head up, and realized what she had just said. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to come out like that! You don't want to hear any of this, right? And I didn't mean I don't like working like this! It's just that-" She caught sight of something, and stopped halfway in her rant.

"Look, Kurosaki-kun! There's a man selling roasted sweet potatoes!" Orihime pointed to a cart about ten feet away, cried happily, and dashed to it.

"Oi! You've just had lunch!" Hearing no response, Ichigo shouted again, "I'm not going to wait for you!" And he walked off. _Either she's just got a big mouth, or she can create alternate realities in a second. _He considered. _I vote for 'alternate reality'. It's just a complex lie anyway._

"Hey! Wait for me, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime pleaded, hastily paid for her roasted sweet potatoes, and ran after Ichigo.

When she had finally caught up with him, panting and wheezing, Orihime was horrified to see her much-worked-for roasted sweet potato lying on the floor. "Ah! I dropped it!" Fixing her gaze onto the distancing cart, she wheezed, "Wait...! Come back! Please..." But to no avail. The cart continued to grow smaller and smaller.

Letting out a sigh, Orihime muttered, "Guess that can't be helped." Then, she picked up the remains of her treat, and threw it into the bin. "All set!" She said. "Let's go, Kurosaki- Kurosaki-kun?" She exclaimed, as Ichigo ran after the hawker. Then, to her utter surprise, he ran back with another steaming sweet potato in his hand. "What..." She muttered, dumbfounded.

"Here." Ichigo said gruffly, and shoved the food into her hands.

"I'll pay for that..." Orihime murmured, as she reached for her purse.

"Don't. I wanted to." Answered Ichigo, as he firmly pushed the sweet potato into her hands.

"Then... Thank you!" Orihime smiled, a radiant, infective smile that prompted Ichigo's lips to betray its permanent scowl, and turn upward.

"Come on, if you don't start walking, we can't see anything more." Said Ichigo, as he resumed walking. He did not know why he had just bought the sweet potato for her. But seeing that downcast expression... And with her trying to cover it up... Ichigo just couldn't help it.

"Okay!" Orihime walked beside him.

"Me and nii-chan used to sell roasted sweet potatoes in Beijing." Stated Orihime, as she bit down on her treat. "He would roast them, and I would sell them to the tourists. That really was a fun Winter..." She trailed off, as she reminisced.

"I thought you worked in Karakura as an unlicensed guide?" Asked Ichigo, mildly interested in her story.

"Oh, we only settled there three years ago... That was the longest I have ever lived in any town! Except when I was little... But I couldn't remember anything about there..." Orihime replied.

"Why do you have to move so often?" Curious, Ichigo inquired.

"It's mostly my fault. Nii-chan wanted me to have a good upbringing, so... He often borrowed money from loa sharks and such. And then we would need to flee from them... He's always guilty for that, but..." Orihime trailed off again.

Before Ichigo could make a remark of any sort, Orihime suddenly went into story-telling mode. "What I don't get is how the little green men kept following us, and making me trip and fall! I mean, don't they get sea-sick or air sickness? And..." She continued babbling as they continued walking.

* * *

A few hours later, Ichigo was driving home. He and Orihime had walked further and further away from their car, and when they realized it... They had to run to be on time. So now, there they sat on his black car, on their way home. At this speed, they would have no problem getting home on time.

A murmur from beside brought him to glance at his right. Orihime was sleeping silently beside him. _That's right... She woke up early this morning to make breakfast. _He recalled. Along with so many things she didn't have to do, but still did anyway, this fact brought Ichigo to a realization. _This girl... Is she really... _Before he had time to finish the thought, Orihime stirred in her sleep, and leaned onto Ichigo. "Kurosaki-kun... Thank you." She whispered.

Somehow, the girl had the ability to melt Ichigo's permanent frown.

As is the case now.

**End of chapter**

* * *

There! Four thousand words! (including Author's messages) Not so short this time around, right? I had to re-write a few parts cuz it didn't seem right from the way I wrote it, so it's a bit late! More and more elements not originally from the drama series are appearing! So if you have seen it... Don't think you can predict everything! XD

Please review review review! I update more quickly if I see more reviews!

Blitch! Don't leave me hanging there! If you got the preview up... Then give me the real thing quick! I am waiting here!


	10. The First Half of the Night

Hey! I'm back! The chapter count has reached two digits! Isn't that great! Thank you for all your support, people! Babiip would work hard! ^^ Since Blitch was demanding for an update, so... I tried my best.

And sorry for the lateness... I had exams, and to add to the trouble, somehow, when I saved it it reverted back to the old version, and I had to type everything up again... And then I forgot to save everything. But then, something good came out of these. I added the first part cuz I suddenly got the inspiration!

This chapter is dedicated to my readers! Thank you for your support! *smiles*

**Disclaimer: **Sometimes, I wonder if people read the disclaimers. If I were the owner of Bleach, I wouldn't need to worry, right? Got the message?

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun, you're back!" Happily yelled Orihime, as she ran to the doorway.

"Thanks." Ichigo muttered, as Orihime took his coat. The late October winds were powerful, able to chill a person to his very bones. Ichigo's shoulders slouched a bit, while bags could clearly be seen under his eyes. His frown was in full force, as was the case in the past few weeks.

"Oh my!" Kisuke remarked. "Orihime-chan, your cousin's looks so worn out!" He grabbed a paper fan out of nowhere, covered his face with it, and proceeded, "How about something rejuvanating? Perhaps you can give him a shoulder massage~?" Perhaps because of him obsuring his face, the last part sounded a bit perverted.

"What-" Despite Ichigo's tired status, this remark earned quite a response from him. His face flashed crimson, and his eyes became fully wide.

"What~ You aren't having dirty thoughts about your own cousin, are you?~" Teased Kisuke. "Or are you afraid of a simple, harmless shoulder massage from your _cousin_?" Somehow, there was something else glittering in his eyes... Not that Ichigo noticed though.

Ichigo was starting to get annoyed. _This man...! I will... _

"It's okay." Orihime stepped forward, as she pushed Ichigo into a chair. "I'm sorry. Please bear with it for a while."She whispered.

_What did she just apologise for? _Ichigo wanted to ask. However, once he felt her hands on his shoulders, another thought overan it. _Her hands are trembling... She must be nervous. _Suddenly, a light bulb lighted up in Ichigo. _She's nervous... She's doing this just for the act... She must be scared. _"Hey. Don't be nervous. Just try, okay?" He put his hand onto hers, and squeezed it lightly, soothing her. "It's alright." He said. The first thing that came into his mind when he grabed hold of her hand was that it was cold. He held on to it, as long as she doesn't let go. He wasn't thinking. The actions, the words, just came out by themselves.

From behind the chair, Orihime couldn't see his expression, but she wouldn't look anyway. She was scared, she was, but not anymore. _His hand is so warm... Just like I remembered. _Warmth rushed into her through the touch. She began to feel a bit more wanted his hand to hold hers forever, but she knew that won't happen. _I have to start. _She told herself. She retracted her hands a bit, letting him know that the massage was about to start.

Ichigo's hand retracted. His hands ached for the sensation of her soft hand in his.

Then, the massage began.

Orihime took in a deep breath, and gathered the last of her nerves. _Kisuke-san can't see anything from this. _She told herself. _It's alright. _She lightly set her fingers down, one at a time, onto Ichigo's shoulders. Albeit a bit unsurely, she lightly kneaded the muscles. Receiving no response, Orihime continued. _At least he doesn't hate it. _She mused.

Ichigo didn't hate it alright. _Her hands feel so good... _Ichigo thought, as Orihime massaged him. As he prepared to lean back and enjoy the massage, his logical thought suddenly chose this moment to kick in. _Why?_ It said. Somehow, the query frightened Ichigo. His body tenesd up involuntarily.

Sensing Ichigo's discomfort, the action of Orihime's hands came to an abrupt halt. _Was that bad just now? _She thought. Before she had time to further terrorize herself, however, Ichigo grumbled, "Why did you stop? Continue." Despite his not-so-good attitude, Orihime was happy. She laid the whole of her palms onto his shoulders, and continued the massage. Under her administrations, Ichigo's shoulders relaxed noticibly. Sensing that her job is done, Orihime prepared to lift her hands. However, she found herself reluctant to remove her hands from Ichigo. Somehow, she didn't want to end the massage just yet. It was like holding a giant teddy bear, she presumed. The warmth and security it radiates make you don't want to leave for ever and ever. So, she moved her hands to his right arm, and began kneading the tense muscles there.

Ichigo was slightly surprised when Orihime moved on to his arms. _Why is she massaging my arm too? She doesn't need to... _Ichigo did not bother to guess. _She didn't have to. _He repeated. Despite his cluelessness, he was happy. He didn't want her hands to leave just yet. He was content just sitting on the chair, letting her massage his arm.

After Orihime had finished with everything, she slowly removed her hands from Ichigo's shoulders, and cried, "There! All done!" Before she had time to say anything else, Ichigo turned around, and said, "Thanks, Inoue."

The unexpected thank shocked Orihime a bit. She found her heart moved by this simple word, and replied with "No problem!"

Then, she smiled.

It was a radiant smile. Her lips were stretched to pink coloured thin strips, and her eyes also shone brilliantly, despite the fact that it was closed a bit. The smile shook Ichigo. He had never seen anyone smile like that. He found himself captivated by that smile, and a warm sensation slowly spread from his heart to his whole body.

All too soon, the smile disappeared, and Orihime said, "I'm going to prepare the bath water now!" And she ran up the stairs.

Ichigo stood there, still captivated. _Why would she have such an effect over me? _He questioned.

* * *

Ichigo groaned as he descended upon the bed. He covered his eyes with the back of his hand, and recalled the events of the day. His mind had seemed particularly jumbled up after the massage, even after his bath. His mind had been revolving around the auburn-haired girl, and what she had done and said.

Then, he shook his head violently, as if to get rid of the thoughts. _Why am I thinking about her!? She's nobody to me! Once the act is over..._

Somehow, Ichigo's chest clenched at the idea. The idea that they would pass each other on the streets, and Orihime would go on without noticing... Somehow, the idea made him sad. _Stop thinking about her!_

As if it was predetermined, his phone rang at this moment. Ichigo glanced at the screen, then flipped it open. "Renji, what's up?" he spoke. Even though it had been a week since he had known Rukia would come, he hadn't told Renji yet.

"I know Rukia's coming next week, and I am telling you you don't need to do anything." Renji said, not bothering for a greeting.

"Have you forgotten what happened three years ago?" Ichigo shouted to the phone. "Don't worry, I'll make sure she won't set foot in the hotel!" interjected Ichigo. "I still can't contact her yet, but in thee worst scenario, we can always just blockade the entrance-"

Renji cut him off. "I haven't forgotten anything. The more the fuss, the more she knows we still care for her. And the fact is, I don't. To me, she's as good as dead. So don't do anything. She's just another celebrity who is coming to stay in the hotel. That's it."

"Look, you may be able to do something like that, but I am not prepared to let such a person stay in **my** hotel! I won't let her in!" Ichigo yelled.

"You will, if you don't want your father to know that Inoue-san is not your cousin." Renji replied calmly.

"What... What did you just say?" Dumbfounded, Ichigo asked again.

"I said... INOUE ORIHIME IS NOT YOUR COUSIN, SO YOU'D BETTER LISTEN TO ME!" Renji's patience was wearing thin, and he wasn't going to repeat it a second time. "Look, I love that old goat as if he were my father, and I don't want him to die either, so... you know what to do."

With that, Renji hung up, leaving Ichigo staring at his phone.

And leaving his secretary standing on the other side of the closed door.

* * *

And... Where this chapter ends... An unusual thing for me to do: Posted review replies!

**Lunar Iris: **How many chapters did you review in one go? I thought I lost you about at chapter 5... Or 6. Sorry if the "her" was a bit confusing... I wanted to build up the mystery. I'm going to do time lapses from now on, since I thought the first few days deserved more work. Yeah, the plot's gonna be tighter now... And about Yamamoto... He will have at least one more appearance. That's all I can say.

**zodious: **Yeah... Ichigo's going to be nicer from now on. He's got to be suspicious cuz he had to protect his family, right? He had made a rash decision, and now he had to keep an eye out for bad things.

**DancerGrl16: **Yeah, Ichigo's understanding... Though the reason why Orihime lies... and why she does not most of the time... Will be discussed in the later chapters. This story has a theme of "lies". So... There would be many of them. And I know which one you're talking about! It's in the 190s or one of the early 200s... I don't remember the exact number though...

**kally-kal: **Glad you liked it! I'll keep up the work!

**Emuri: **Yeah, Kisuke and Yoruichi have their suspicions alright. I love casting them as the dodgy duo. They're so funny to write about. You got the first one right. I haven't introduced the real reason for the second though.

**animeistight36: **Thank you! I actually spent a bit of time drafting that up. I wanted to do smething about sweet potatoes, and making Ichigo do something he didn't expect himself to do.

**SunsetRainbow: **Thanks! It actually relieves me that you think it's cute. Idon't have much talent in fluff... I am more into inner thoughts & emotions.

**Blitchie: **Well I can't say much things about Orihime's identity... But let me assure you, there won't even be a hint of incest in the story. Cuz it makes me barf. Period. Ichigo's supposed to be like that... But he's not really that stone-cold. He'll be better later.

**wombat123: **Thank you! I didn't want Ichigo to warm up to her too soon, cuz it would be weird...

**Sweet Yet Painful: **Thanks! Actually, I had felt like that when I saw the original Korean drama. Too bad the storyline turned a bit stereotypical later on.

**Jhay: **Thanks! I work hard to keep the storyline from being too boring and slow, so I add stuff into it.

* * *

And that was the chapter! I actually planned another thing for this chapter, but then I had to study more, so it's going to be in the next.

Many many thanks to all of my reviewers, and for those who haven't reviewed... Please review! I want to reach 3-digits before my next update! Tell me what you think of this chapter!

Bye for now~

Babiip 6/6/2009


	11. The Eventful Midnight

Sorry this chapter is so slow... I've got even more work now that the exams are over... It's been a month!

Thanks go to everyone who has reviewed! I love you guys!

This chapter is dedicated to **Emuri**! For celebration of his/her first fic, **Melody of the Distilled Rose**! Go check it out!

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH. WHY AM I TYPING THIS IN BOLD AND IN CAPITAL LETTERS?**

* * *

At 12:00a.m., most parts of Japan has gone to sleepland. One particular female in the Kurosaki Household, however, found herself hastily rummaging through her closet for some warm clothing.

Once she had put them all on, she ran down to the front door, and yelled to her uncle and aunt snuggling on the couch, "I'm out!" She slammed the door and ran ahead at full speed.

* * *

At 12:00a.m, most people who are staying over at others' houses would be asleep. As to be expected, the dodgy duo currently residing in the Kurosaki residence was a major exception.

So, when they heard their niece - at least that's what she was supposed to be - running down the stairs, they hastily straightened themselves and managed to maintain a visually-deceptive snuggling position.

Not that you can say that they're snuggling when Kisuke is in a kneeling position while Yoruichi sat on his legs while trying to conceal one of her legs with the few cushions remaining on the sofa.

As such, it is quite easy to imagine their great relieve (and disappointment, in Kisuke's case) when their niece didn't even spare them a glance when she sprinted out of the door.

"My, I kinda wanted her to see us like this." Murmured Kisuke, as he tried to move his numb legs.

"Well, if we stay like this, we may let Ichigo see us." Whispered Yoruichi, as she grinned evilly.

"Let's stay like this." They said simultaneously.

* * *

At 12:00a.m., most people would chase after their cousin when said cousin yelled that she's going out. However, for one Kurosaki Ichigo,too much was on his mind for him to react. _She'll just come back later anyway, _He thought, while still lying on his bed.

He flipped over, and stared at the ceiling. Renji really was mad at Rukia. Firey anger was easy to deal with when it came to somebody like Renji. It would burn like hell for a short period, but would disappear quickly as well. Cold fury, on the other hand, was something Ichigo had never seen in Renji.

_Rukia, Rukia... _Mumbled Ichigo in his mind. _You really did break somebody's heart bad. _

* * *

At 12:00a.m., most secretaries in Japan would have clocked off since long ago. However, another special case emerged.

Nelliel Tu Oderschvank rummaged through her documents as she searched for that one single piece of paper. "That... psychopathic crazy manipulative control-freak evil sociopathic BIATCH!" Nel screamed in frustration, as she slammed a stack of paperwork onto the floor. "Just why does she have to have that photo at 12:00am in the morning!"

_Because the "Abarai weekly" has a featured article on the Kurosaki Family this month. _Her mind replied. _And it would be weird if we refuse to provide pictures of the deceased Rangiku-sama and Gin-sama._

"Okay, I get it!" Cried Nel. "Even my mind is against me..." She grumbled.

* * *

At 12:00a.m., most homeowners would be annoyed, at the very least, when all she could find of her guest was a note saying "I'm out".

"Gonna go meet Hime, huh..." She stared at the sheet of paper, as if it had something else to tell her. "Oh well," She said to herself, "I never could sleep after teaching late-night karate classes anyway." As if to tell herself that she has an ulterior motive other than staying up solely for Sora, she turned on the television set, and yelled, "I also have **this** to watch!"

She fell onto her couch, took a look at the screen, and murmured, "Now what's the name of this programme?"

* * *

At 12:00 a.m., Inoue Sora sat at a bench in a park, as he waited for his sister. He had just phoned her to tell her to come. He lightly pondered on the reason why his sister didn't stay to see him during her previous visit to the Arisawa residence.

Suddenly, a past event which took place on the very bench he was sitting on came to Sora's mind.

_**"Look! Nii-chan!" A young Orihime cried. "A swallow!"**_

_**"Why it is." Inoue Sora smiled sadly, then added,"Orihime, I need to tell you something... We need to move again. Sorry."**_

_**There had been no screaming, no sad tears, and not even a slightest indication of sadness or anger from Orihime. She had just smiled at her brother, and asked, "When are we leaving?"**_

At that particular point in time, Inoue Orihime arrived.

"So, how was your day?" Asked Sora.

* * *

Somehow, their meeting was filled with idle chat. They talked about things from the past, old friends, and even how Tatsuki's working schedule held potential hazards to her health.

"Hey, Orihime, do you remember what happened on the bench ten years ago?" Suddenly, Sora steered away from the topic, and asked.

"Of course I do..." Answered Orihime. "That swallow was so cute!" She cried. "I wonder if I can find his children here!" Orihime stood up to go look for the nests, but before she could do anything, Sora said, "What if... I say the same thing again now?"

Orihime's heart skipped a bit, for reasons yet unknown to her. But then, she asked the same question again, "When... are we leaving?"

Orihime fell into a trance. Somehow, for some reason, when her brother had told her they were going to move again... A very strong feeling suddenly overcame her. It was a familiar feeling to her, but she couldn't decribe it. The name of this particular feeling was at the tip of her mind's tongue, but her brain refused to process any further. _It's... It's..._

"Hey, I'm just kidding... Orihime? What's wrong?" Noticing her daze, her brother asked.

"Oh, no... I just felt something, that all." Orihime absent-mindedly answered. In a second, she became aware of what she had just said, and quickly brushed it off, "Oh, it doesn't matter! It must be the little red men who are messing me up again! They must be burning incense here..."

"Hey, Orihime, are you happy with your job now?" Sora asked out of the blue.

Taken aback, Orihime answered without thinking, "Oh, it's great! The people I work with are great! We're like family!" _I mustn't make him worry. _Thatwas the first thought that had came to her mind.

"How about your employer? Is he mean or anything?" Asked Sora, seeming catching onto something.

There wasn't enough time for Orihime to react to Sora. She answered, "Oh, no! Kurosaki-kun is really nice! He even introduced me to a restaurant with free wasabi and red bean paste!"

"I see... That's good." Inoue Sora looked to the distance for a while, as if he was thinking about something, but within moments he spoke again, "Let's go home now."

And then, they stood up, said goodbye, and went their separate ways.

This last sentence spoke by Inoue Sora carried a new edge. It was firmer, and more solid. It was as if... He had decided something.

* * *

Arisawa Tatsuki didn't even turn her head when Sora got back to her house.

"Finished talking to Orihime?" She asked nonchalantly, totally absorbed by the TV programme she was watching.

"Yes." The short, firm answer came from Sora, as he closed the door of the guest room.

* * *

Kisuke and Yoruichi yelled from the other side of the door, "Ichigo, we old birds are going to sleep. Wait for Orihime-chan in the living room, will you?"

As much as Ichigo didn't feel like it, there was too much on his mind for him to say no. He reluctantly went into the living room, and sat on the sofa. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "What the hell!? It's already ten past one! Where is she!?" All other thoughts had been washed away for his shock and anger that she was still out so late."Just what the hell is she doing? What if something happens to her!"

As if to answer him, the door opened at that moment, revealing his "cousin".

"Just where the hell have you been! Do you have any idea when did you leave?" Ichigo yelled at Orihime immediately, not waiting for her to close the door.

Suprisingly, Orihime didn't flinch from his yell. Instead, she kept her smile on, and answered, "I'm sorry for going out when it was so late, but I had business to take care of..." She paused for a second, and then put on a wide grin, and cheerfully added, "But, Kurosaki-kun, you don't need to worry about me! It's not like I'm your real cousin anyway."

Stunned, Ichigo let her walk up the stairway, and into her room.

And thus the eventful night of Inoue Orihime ended.

* * *

READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE!

Hey, sorry, but there's something very important that I want to say this time.

Another reason this chapter's so late is because I can't get the scene when Sora met Orihime right. So I rewrote everything for a few times... Sorry again that it's so late... And a bit short. But the next chapter should be a bit smoother, since I've got most things figured out.

Another thing. The feelings and thoughts of the characters are a bit underdefined in the chapter because they'll be explain in the next ones... So please bear with me.

Please review! Blitchie, I'm waiting~

30/07/09 =Babiip~


	12. The Thoughts in the Night

Oh, screw it! Lunar was right! I should just dish out chapters when I think it's the right time! Instead, I wasted half a month thinking on what to write next for this chapter! Gosh! Oh well, my work peak's over, so hopefully I can finish chapters more quickly this time.

This chapter is for Blitchie, since her **We Could Be Heroes** is back with a sequel. Frankly, I still don't get who the heck can be heroes.

Thanks go to everyone who reviewed, and please check out my other story, _Stay with Me _too!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach. I do own what I'm using to remove that pesky stain on my shirt though.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo twisted and turned in bed as he failed to sleep. Somehow, his mind was fixed on what a certain auburn-haired girl had said earlier that night. _"You don't need to worry about me! It's not like I'm your real cousin anyway." _

_Of course I would be worried! _Inwardly yelled Ichigo. He had been stunned when she had said he didn't had to worry, and the period of inactivity had led to his brain being in powerful overdrive afterwards. _A young girl, staying out in the streets so late at night... Anything could have happened! _

_**And so...? **_A part in Ichigo's brain reasoned. **_She's not your real couin anyway. You don't even have a right to worry about her! You don't have any type of relationship with her! You shouldn't be shocked by what she had said!_**

Somehow, Ichigo got stung by this comment. However, he never was the type to back down from a fight, not even one with himself. He threw the stinging of his heart to the back of his head, and immediately found an answer, _I'm her employer! If she gets distracted while acting as my cousin, it could blow everything! That's it! I worry about that because it may affect her job performance! _

Perhaps even Ichigo himself thought that the reason was super-flimsy, he changed his flow of thoguht, _And it's not what she had said that shocked me! It's the way she had said it! She's a person, for God's sake! Employee or not, saying "You don't need to care about me" with such a cheery face is not healthy!_

Past moments of the girl's weird behaviour surfaced to his mind, _When she had said "sorry" all those times... And the way she had answered "I have to" when I asked her why she lied... _The more he thought about it, the more it confused him._ God, I'm driving myself dizzy... I need a glass of water. _He thought, as he got up from his bed.

* * *

_What's this... I'm feeling? It's like something bad is going to come, when nii-chan was talking to me just now... _Drifting between the worlds or reality and dreams, Orihime pondered. _After my slip about Kurosaki-kun to nii-chan... I can sense it... Something is weighing him down... I hope he won't do anything bad..._

Orihime paused for a few moments, her brain re-evaluating what she had just thought. Suddenly, she sat up in realization. _What's this! I'm doubting nii-chan! I must trust him! _She put up her fist into the air, kicked the sheets a few times, and whispered to herself, "Inoue Orihime, you must trust your brother!"

Suddenly came the sound of a door opening. Orihime immediately resumed a sleeping posture, and pretended to sleep. As the sound of the footsteps diminished, she decided to stay like that, just to be safe. _Hey, where's my-?_

She touched her head to be sure. Yes. One of her hairclips were missing. She opened her eyes, and began searching, trying not to cause too much of a ruckus. As she turned over, she found it glittering under the moonlight on the floor about a feet away from her. _I'll get it when whoever goes back to his room. _She thought.

Her perfect plan was smashed as a pigeon flew into her room, landing on top of her dresser. _Please don't notice my hairpin, please don't... _Again, her prayer just wasn't accepted. The pigeon took a glance at her hairpin, and took immediate interest in it. Step by step, it got closer, and closer, and closer to her hairpin. For each step it took, Orihime's heart skipped a beat.

As it began to peck on the floor around her hairpin, footsteps came up the stairs. _Just a bit more, just wait a bit more... _

Right as the person was passing her door, the pigeon picked up her hairpin, and put it back down.

At the sight of the pigeon picking it up, Orihime dashed down from her bed, seized the hairpin in one fluid motion, shooed the pigeon, put the hairpin back onto her hair, and went back lying on her bed, eyes closed.

To her great horror, her door was opened.

"Hmm... Weird. I thought I heard something..." The voice acknowledged its owner as none other than Kurosaki Ichigo, her supposed-to-be cousin. To Orihime's great relief, she could hear her door creak, being closed. However, the reassuring sound of the door being closed never came.

After what seemed like hours of nerve-testing, but was only mere seconds, Orihime was overwhelmed by the suspense, and decided to open her eyes. _Ten, nine, eight,... _As her countdown came to the last few numbers, her door was closed. However, to her utmost horror, someone, most likely Ichigo, was coming into the room.

She could hear footsteps, but they were not in her immediate proximity. Then, she could hear her windows being closed. "I knew I felt a draft in here..." Ichigo's voice grumbled again. Her heart pounded heavily against her chest, as she Ichigo walked closer and closer to her.

The adrenaline was making her dizzy, but suddenly, she could feel a large hand looming over her head, or more precisely, her hair. "Geez..." She could hear Ichigo mumble. "She does know her hairpins may poke her in the eye if she doesn't take them off when she's sleeping, right?" She could feel him gently taking each hairclip off, then setting them on the nightable with a light _clink_. He brushed away the tickling hairs on her face, but then, he withdrew his hand, and walked away.

Lying on her bed alone, Orihime felt that weird, unsettling feeling she had felt earlier that night again. It was a sort of emptiness, like she was the only one living in the world... _Just what is it? _Inoue Orihime never managed to figure it out, as she fell asleep later while pondering this.

* * *

Reminiscing about the past few minutes, Kurosaki Ichigo flopped onto his bed. At first, when he opened the door of Orihime's room, it was because he had heard a ruffle in there. When he opened the door, somehow, he froze. His mind ceased working completely. He didn't know what had triggered this trance, but he just wouldn't, couldn't...

_Couldn't do what? _

That was the question in Ichigo's mind. At the point in time when he had fallen into his trance, he had a feeling he had figured out something. Something of vital importance that could strike away this nagging feeling he had been feeling lately. "Damn, my thoguhts are stopping due to conditioning..." Ichigo grumbled.

But then afterwards, when he had snapped out of it, the sight of the opened windows and the hairpins still on her hair made him frown. Remembering the ramble he had given when he was closing the window and taking away the hairpins, he looked away from nothing in embarassment. _Who was I talking to anyway? _He mused. Before he could stop himself, his mouth opened on its own and started mumbling.

Sure, Ichigo may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but he wasn't that dense either. _It was as if... As if I was convincing myself, denying that... _

_What I've been trying to tell myself is that..._

_._

_._

_. _

_I'm not worrying about her?_

Somehow, Ichigo had had a feeling he was getting closer and closer to the truth, but at that moment, everything was reset again. He also reminded himself of one simple fact: Rukia's arrival and Renji. _To hell with my thoughts! I need to focus! Rukia's coming!_

Shutting his mind off with force, and clearing everything away, Ichigo went to sleep.

* * *

Chpater finished, please review, and check out my story _Stay with Me_. Let's talk about shameless advertising.

Babiip

3-9-09


	13. The Day after the Night

Okay! This time, There's a longger-ish chapter! Not ultra-long, as you mean already know, but still longer than the previous ones!

Thanks go to everyone who has reviewed, I swear the updates are going to be back on track now.

This chapter is dedicated to **Blitchie**! Buddy, you've got the update! Now give me one!

Oooh, and do check out my other fic, **Stay with Me** (in progress). I'm doing a prompt-collection thing now, and I want more ideas!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach. I-DO-NOT-OWN-BLEACH.

* * *

Turning the knob of his room's door, he slow trailed down the corridor. _One Step. Two Steps. Three Steps. _He counted, and silently moved over that particular spot on the floor which he knew would make tweaking noises. He couldn't let anyone see him, hear him, or sense him in any way. He had reached the stairs.

Tiptoeing down the stairs, one step at a time, he was semi-surprised to hear TV noises. _Commercials._ From the tone of it, Sora determined that it was a Pantene commercial.

_Did Arisawa-chan forget to switch off the television? _He pondered. Just to be safe, he waited at the base of the stairs till the end of the commercials, to wait for time when the viewer would be the most focused on the television screen.

When it had reached the _We Could be Heroes_ show promotion which he knew was always the last one, he took cautions steps further down the lane, preparing to put on an act. Under no circumstances could his motivations be identified. Stalking in the dark, gingerly he took one more step towards the flashing TV lights. One more step, and all of the living room would be within his eyesight, and the reverse would apply.

He moved near the wall, sticking to it. He poked his head out, and saw that Tatsuki was slouching on the couch, eyes glued to the television set while her hands made elaborate movements in the air, her mouth mumbling furiously. Distinct lines he identified were "_Stupid, wrong move!_" and "_Just like..._"

"What exactly are you doing there, watching me watching television?" Asked Tatsuki abruptly, never tearing her eyes away from the luminous screen.

Startled, Sora answered with the most believable lie, "Midnight snack." _How did she found me? _He asked in his mind.

"You'll get fat. You're not so young anymore, remember? Your metabolism is slowing down..." Muttered Tatsuki semi-heartedly, focused on the television.

"Yeah, yeah. Try not to stay up too late, okay?" Answered Sora, as he retreated.

Eyes glued to the television, Tatsuki never noticed he didn't have any food in his hands.

She never noticed the bag he was carrying either.

* * *

Early morning, Nelliel Tu Oderschvank was disturbed from her slumber by her grumbling stomach. "What,... Did i fall asleep in my office?" She slurred, not having fully woken up yet. She had finally found the accused photo after three hours of frantic searching. She looked at the table clock. 6am, it had said.

She rubbed her eyes, and when she finally opened them, a figure stood in front at her door. "Ichigo! What are you doing here? It's 6am in the morning!" She screamed.

Ichigo didn't seem to have heard her. He said conversationally, "Hey, where's that stack of proposals from LimoCorps? I have to read them over once more before the conference today. And then I have to ask Rukia's manager to see if they have any special requests for press conferences and such,... Let's see... What's left?" While he was muttering this, he walked around Nel's room, picking up proposals, notifications, and various other documents of varying size, colour, and shape, all the time having Nel fetching and printing more for him. By the time he went back to his office, the paper-based objects he was holding formed a tumbling tower over three feet tall.

After she had closed the door between their offices, Nel pondered on what Ichigo had said. "That was the first time he had spoken of Rukia-san ever since he had learnt she was coming..." She muttered. _Something must have happened. _She thought. _Something of enough magnitude that he'd rather face the issue concerning Rukia-san. _

After a particularly loud grumble from her stomach, Ichigo yelled from the other side of the door, "Go grab breakfast!". Nel obeyed.

_Something interesting is going to happen... I just know it. _Nel thought.

* * *

"Don't you feel bored, Orihime-chan? You've been coming here every day since you've been here. That's a whole month already! Surely, a young girl like you would have something more fun to do?" Cried Isshin, as Inoue Orihime stepped through the ward door.

"Oh, you don't need to think for me, Isshin-san! And today is the day we're going to start physical therapy for walking! Let's do the leg-lifting exercise Nurse Nakamura asked us to do yesterday!" Came Orihime's response.

While Kurosaki Isshin alternatively lifted his left leg and right leg, with Orihime counting, he asked, "So how's that violent son of mine doing?"

"Oh, I didn't see Kurosaki-kun this morning. I think he's busy, with Rukia-san coming and all..." Answered Orihime, looking down onto the floor, averting eye contact. _And then there's what had happened last night... I really shouldn't have let my guard down and sopke my thoughts..._

Isshin muttered, "Hmm... It shouldn't be..." Then, noting Orihime looking down, and figuring it was probably due to her not knowing anything, he asked, "Hey, Orihime-chan, do you know about the ordeal about Rukia-chan?"

"No, I don't really know anything, other than that apparently, she broke someone's heart real bad. Both Kurosaki-kun and Abarai-kun would only tell me this much." Answered Orihime, wanting to know why this issue was stirring up so much emotions.

"Well you see, Rukia-chan and Renji-kun went on a date the day before she left. And that was the start of everything... It's actually funny, since it's also the end of everything." Isshin said, starting his tale.

* * *

_Rukia and Renji had always been the best of friends ever since their childhood_ time _spent in the orphanage. They did everything together,usually ending with Renji messing up something, and Rukia beating him up for it. However, Renji always protected Rukia, ranging from the insults hurled by the other children, to eating carrots for her during dinner. _

_But that fact changed when Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki Family owning the Kuchiki Group of Medical Sciences, or when Renji was adopted into what was formerly known as the Kyoraku Entertainment and Catering Firms when they were both nine years old. _

_Rukia was being trained to beome a professional tennis player, and Renji was educated to become the next president of the firms. They drifted apart as their insane schedules piled up a wall between them. Years passed and until they were in High School, the two never met the other again. Even though they had been enstranged, the awkward wall between them were smashed as they made a mutual friend, Kurosaki Ichigo, a__nd the twosome became a threesome. The three got their way through High School, and then entered College, or the Physical Arts Institution for Rukia. _

_However, something did change between Rukia and Renji. Somehow, Renji discovered that through all these years, there really was never a moment in which he did not miss the kicks, punches, and carrots from his old friend. Then, one day, Renji woke up, and realized something, _

_He was in love with Rukia. _

_He told his feelings to Ichigo, and Ichigo urged him to confess his feelings. _

_So, on one cloudy Friday afternoon, Renji gathered the courage he had, and asked Rukia on a date the next day. Surprisingly, she agreed. And literally, as if in some romantic comedy, the clouds cleared. _

_Unfortunately, what happened at the end over the course of the next two days wasn't exactly what you would call happy at all. Nosiree, what happened in the end was not happy. _

_The next day Renji took Rukia to a movie, and then they went to the amusement park. Renji tried as hard as he could to build up the atmosphere. He brought her to a romantic action movie, the type she liked. He took her to the amusement park on the top of the "Top 10 most excitingly romantic Theme Parks". He booked a romantic dinner to be eaten in the ferris wheel. _

_But somehow, everything seemed to be in his way. The person at the counter messed up the movie tickets, and they watched **The Slaughtering of Chappy Rabbit**__ instead, which was a parody horror movie of the various ways you can kill Rukia's favourite cartoon character. _

_After they had watched the movie, if that could be said since they only watched the first five minutes, they went to the amusement park. Renjui had thought the park would be more romantic and thus set the mood, but he was dead wrong. _

_The amusement park, as it had turned out, had a new management board, who decided it would be nice to switch themes every once in a while. As such, Renji had arrived at the park's first annual Mid-July Ghostland. Boy, was he surprised._

_Somehow, they managed to have a good time though. _

_After their fourth ride on "The Boogieman's Bogey Bouviers", they went to have dinner in the ferris wheel. As expected, Renji grimly found the food to be halloween-themed as well, with kissing zombies (Seaweed salad), Heart-shaped ghosts(Lobster), the Kraken(Patchwork from miscellaneous octopuses), and more. During the course of the dinner, they talked about their day. Then, unbeknownst to either one of them, the conversation drifted to their past. _

_As the cart moved up and up, and their conversation went on and on, and into the present, Renji felt that he had to say something. He sat up straight, looked Rukia straight in the eyes, and said, _

_"Rukia... I have something to tell you. I, I, lo...-"_

_Before he could say anything, Rukia put a finger onto his mouth. _

* * *

Isshin paused. He had half-expected Orihime to chase for more details, but she just sat there, listening closely.

Isshi continued, opening with, "The following line has been repeated by Renji for countless times later."

* * *

_She said, "Renji, whatever you're telling me... Tell me tomorrow, okay? Don't ask why, just... Tell me tomorrow."_

_Renji was half-rejected. The other half believed in whatever chances he had the next day. _

_They talked about whatever topics they foun themselves getting into afterwards. Astronomy, college, gossip, food, movies, and of course, Chappy, you name it, they've talked about it. _

_Then, the cart had reached the ground. They both stood up, and walked towards the door. Before Renji could take a step out, however, he was spun around, and his head was forcefully pulled down into the waiting lips of Rukia. _

_There had been no time for reaction. Before his mind could process it, she had kissed him fiercely. Before he could respond with the passion he yearned to reciprocate, she had pulled away. Before his mind had recovered from the severe overloading, she had detached herself, and sprinted away. _

_She had kissed him, full on the lips. _

_When his mind had finally registered this fact, Rukia had disappeared. Leaving him to go home. And boy, was he ecstatic. She had kissed him. That was all his brain recognized. He twisted and turned in bed, telling every single one of his friends, from the brash orange punk to the wise old sage, of the kiss, and they all wished him good luck. _

_With the greatest reassurance in the world, what could he be afraid of?_

_However, fate always did have weird ways. Yesiree, you never would know what weird things fate has in mind. _

_The next day, Renji couldn't wait to see Rukia. He went over to her place, and asked for her at 8a.m. in the morning. The maid eyed him with a weird look, but he was too happy to see it. "I'll take you to Byakuya-sama first." Said the maid, as she led him to the master's chambers. _

_Only when Renji was inside did he start to feel something was up. Although it was half-expected for the absolute supreme head of the Kuchiki Group, Renji noticed Byakuya was fully dressed, from the tip of his hair to the base of his shoes. At 8a.m., it was an unexpected sight. Once Renji had sat down, Byakuya said, "Explain your reasons in coming here."_

_Renji didn't know how to reply. Was he to tell the truth? That he had come to confess his love for Kuchiki Rukia? He decided not. So, he said, in his most business-like tone, "I have matters to discuss with Rukia."_

_"And Rukia asked you to come today?" Asked Byakuya, face stoic, tone emotionless, impossible to read._

_"Yes." came Renji's response. After a sickeningly long period of waiting which should not have been more than five minutes, Byakuya replied. "I see. How interesting." Before Renji could ask in what way was this interesting, Byakuya continued, "Then she must not have wanted to discuss the matter. You see, Rukia had left for her tennis training in the United States yesterday at midnight."_

_Byakuya may have carried on, and maybe he hadn't. Renji didn't notice. He could only sense a spiraling sensation. "But... But it was important! That thing I had to talk over with her!"" He cried abruptly. "How... How could she!" _

_"Apparently, that matter is not as important to her as it is to you." Came the comment by Byakuya. As Renji fell onto the floor,and kicked over a chair, sobbing, expressing his anger and sorrow, Byakuya added a final remark, "Since you're obviouly emotionally distressed, I'll have the guards escort you out." _

_As if on cue, two guards appeared at the doorway, bowed, and took the hands and legs of Renji, lifting him up, and taking him away._

_"I wish you a good day." Said Byakuya, as the door was closed.

* * *

_

"And then, writhing and sobbing, Abarai Renji was sent to the Kurosaki Manor. Lucky no reporters got a shot of this, or it would have been all over the town like hot cakes. They just looove celebrity gossip." Commented Isshin, as he finished his story. "Afterwards, Renji remained in a angry funk sort of state for months, but then, it gradually died down. Nanao Ise came to get him to work one day, and six months after the incident, it was as if nothing had happened."

"Except for Rukia-san." Added Orihime naturally.

"Okay, I lied. It was not the same. Rukia-chan became the absolute taboo subject, and Renji sprints off even more frequently." Caught lying, Isshin answered exasperatedly, having stopped lifting his legs now due to tiredness.

Suddenly, a nurse popped herhead through the doorway, and said, "Kurosaki-san, it's time for your physical therapy. Please follow me."

Isshin hurriedly gt onto his wheelchair, and Orihime pushed.

* * *

Okay! Please review!

Cookies (flavour to be determined) would be given out to people who review!

Review Replies:

**Blitch: **Sorry to the super-short chapters before... Hope this suffices, but if it doesn' one more will come quickly!

**bleachbabe03**: Again, sorry for the shortness of the chapters... Hope you enjoy this one too...

**Lunar iris: **Odd? In what way? Well actually it's totally emotion-based, but... I want to divide the chapters up nicely.

**x-Arteest: **Does this count as more "intersting"? And well in the manga, Orihime also sleep with her hairpins. My version of the reasons will appear shortly.


	14. Lies and Ribbons

It's late again! Sorry… It's still been a month… This chapter was rather difficult to do… I had to remove and re-do a lot of stuff. And it ain't that long…

Thanks go to every one who has reviewed, or added this story to his/her story alerts. Thanks people!

This chapter is dedicated to everyone of you!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach.

* * *

_Tonight is the night… _Thought Sora. _Now, just to make sure… _He jumped up from the sofa, as the sound of a slamming door went into his ears.

"Say, what's that TV show you've been watching every night? It must be good if you're watching it every night…" Asked Sora, as Tatsuki came back from instructing her late-night karate classes.

"I'm not going to tell you. I'll tell you one thing though: Late night karate classes and late-night TV do NOT mix." Tatsuki muttered, clearly annoyed by the random subject. "At least I have a break tonight. TV's broadcasting some 24-hour Fishing Marathon which airs on 1st November every year."

Still grumbling, Tatsuki walked up the stairs to her own room, slamming the door when she had gotten in.

While Sora silently got back to his room, and looked at his bag. _Now is the time. _He thought.

* * *

Another morning came.

At 7:30, Kurosaki Ichigo woke up, and walked out to the corridor. As he walked to the toilet, he was semi-surprised to find that the door to the room of a certain auburn-haired girl was wide open.

_I didn't see anything. _He convinced himself. _It has nothing to do with me. _In spite of his effort of trying to convince himself, he still took a peek into it when he walked back to his room.

It was empty.

_That is none of my concern. _He told himself. _It is none of my business as to where she goes, or what she does. I do not care. _

Perhaps he didn't realize it himself, but he changed just a bit more hastily, walked a bit more quickly, and drove just a bit more closer to the speed limit that day.

"This is just another day with great weather, and I am in a nice mood." Ichigo said to himself, as he sat down by the desk in his office.

_Clocking in earlier than usual… Something's definitely up. _Nel suspected. After that freak morning in which Kurosaki Ichigo arrived at 6:00 am, he had been consistently clocking in at 8:30am each morning. Today, however, he arrived at 8:00 am.

As soon as he had arrived, he cancelled all conferences and meetings, shut himself within his office, and worked on documents stacked up to at least seven feet.

Suddenly, Nel heard something.

"This is just another day with great weather, and I am in a nice mood." It was Ichigo's voice.

Nel looked out of the window. The weather was dreary, to say the least. There was an overcast, and the sun was nowhere to be seen. "So blatantly lying to yourself, Ichigo…" Nel murmured. _Something must be up.

* * *

_

Frantic steps belonging to a sprinting figure. She screamed in her head. _Just what are you planning to do, Nii-chan! _

Desperate intakes of breath, while auburn hair shook as she ran. Taking a turn, she halted at a doorstep. Her friend was waiting for her there. She handed Orihime a letter.

_**Dear Orihime,**_

_**I'm sorry, but you won't see me in a while. I won't come back until I'm a worthy brother for you. From now on, please be free. **_

_**Love always **_

_**Sora**_

Tears threatened to spill, but she held them back.

_Early morning, Inoue Orihime was woken up by her ringing cell phone. "Yes?" She answered it sleepily. _

"_Orihime, Sora's gone." The voice was Tatsuki's, and the tone was deadpanned. _

"_What?" Dumbstruck, Orihime gasped._

"_He left a note for you by my door. It says…__**" **__Tatsuki read out the letter. _

"_I'm coming." Orihime started to change. "There're no buses yet, but I'll run till they start." Her voice was unsteady, reflecting her nervousness and shock. "I'll be here in about an hour and a half." Slipping on her socks, Orihime slipped out of her room. _

_Sneaking out of the mansion was easy. Once she was out, she ran at full speed. _

Guilt, panic, sadness, and all sorts of bitter feelings surged up as what happened that morning appeared in her head, but she held them down.

_Now's not the time for emotions. _She told herself. _I have to stay calm, and find him. _She was covering her face with the letter. She took three deep breaths.

Suddenly, her entire posture changed. She took the letter down, kept her eyes looking at the front, and stood straight, stroding into the open door.

Before Tatsuki could say anything, Orihime spoke in a surprisingly calm voice, "Let's start searching in his room." She took solid, confident steps forward, quickly entering the room previously occupied by Sora.

"Whenever he's planning something, he writes everything down on a piece of paper." Orihime explained, while she opened the drawers, and began to rummage through their contents. "All we have to do is find it."

Somehow, Tatsuki was feeling a lot less than hotheaded. She had expected Orihime to arrive all tensed up, probably panicking. She had expected anything but this, Orihime flipping over everything with a stony expression.

Helping Orihime lift up the mattresses and blankets, Tatsuki asked, "He must have got rid of it, hasn't he?"

"He normally just shoves it in some far corner. It won't be too hard to find." Came a sure response from Orihime. "Have you lost any valuables, or money?"

"No-no. Why did you ask?" Now opening a closet, and suddenly realizing what her friend had implied, Tatsuki asked in confusion. "You don't mean he-"

Orihime appeared not to have heard Tatsuki's second sentence, cutting Tatsuki off, "So he most probably wouldn't have enough money for an air flight… There's nothing here. Let's move onto the next room."

And she strode out of the room, entering the next.

A while later, as this continued, Tatsuki took down the bottles on the bathroom shelf one by one, checking to see if any paper was hidden behind them.

She glanced at Orihime's reflection in the mirror. _She's shaking. _Tatsuki noted worriedly. She called out, "Orihime, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Tatsuki-chan, don't worry." Orihime lifted her head, and her reflection smiled at Tatsuki. _Don't make her worry. _Orihime told herself.

"Still nothing." She repeated, striding into the living room. "Next." Her voice was mechanical, yet slightly shaky at the same time.

Suddenly, Tatsuki heard a tearing noise from the living room. "Tatsuki-chan, Is there any way to move the sofa?" She could hear Orihime asking, voice straining with effort.

"No, it's totally bolted in. Like the tub. Things can slip in from the back though." Tatsuki answered, entering the living room now. "Have you just found anything?"

The door was flung outwards, and Orihime dashed out of the house. "Thanks Tatsuki-chan! I'll find him with this bit I have!"

Lying on the floor, scribbled in Sora's handwriting, was a torn note saying, _**-Port, Tokyo. 22 Oct, 17:00. **_

"She isn't going to check every port in Tokyo now, is she…" Tatsuki mumbled worriedly, as she reached for her phone, and dialed Orihime's phone number.

Orihime's "Snow White" ringtone sounded in the room instantly.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo fell asleep on the stack of documents in his office.

_A young boy's voice said, "You're interesting! Can I be friends with you?" A heart lifted, feeling happiness. _

_The teacher touched his head, and said, "Kurosaki, you're a nice boy." A heart lifted, feeling gratitude._

_The students cheered in unison, "Kurosaki, that was so cool!" A heart lifted, feeling welcomed. _

_The co-workers said, "Kurosaki-san, you've been promoted again! We're all happy for you!" A heart lifted, feeling accomplishment. _

_**Lies. **Ichigo noted. _

_The young boy said to the person beside him. "I won the bet. I pretended to want to make friends with that orange-haired freak." A heart was stung. _

_The teacher said to his colleague, "Isn't his father friends with the headmaster? It's better to maintain a good relationship with him." A heart was hit. _

_The students said, one after another. "I heard he knew all the nice ladies." "I wanted his money." "I don't want to get beat up by him." "Did you see his ugly orange hair? Ughh." A heart was torn._

_The co-workers whispered, "He only got the position because he was the chairman's son." "He's just useless garbage." The heart was frozen already. _

_**Stop the lying. Stop the faking. Stop the pretending. **_

_**I know what you really are thinking. **_

_**I hate people who lie. **_

_**I hate their lies. **_

_**Inoue Orihime is one who lies. **_

_**So I hate her. I don't trust her, I don't care for her.**_

* * *

Suddenly, Kurosaki Ichigo was woken up by his ringing cellphone. _Inoue Orihime. _Somehow, when he saw the incoming cell phone number, he immediately picked the phone up.

"Hey." The voice wasn't Orihime's.

"Tatsuki? What are you doing with Inoue's phone? What is she doing?" Ichigo could sense something was up.

"Orihime's brother is missing. I just spent $30000 and got hired help to remove my sofa from my living room." Tatsuki said out of the blue.

"What?" Shocked, Ichigo asked incredulously.

" They're at the Nodasake Memorial Port. The ship's number is SP341005, leaving at 5 o'clock. I know it's not actually you business, but you know my home's on the other side of the town, so I can't get there on time, s… Ichigo? Are you there?"

There was no response, as the door of Ichigo's office was slammed shut, and his phone was left on his desk.

* * *

The girl ran through the warehouses, heading straight for the ship. She took off her watch while she was in Tatsuki's house, along with her cell phone. She has no idea what time it was.

"SP341005? It's the last one down this lane." The person at the door had told her. She had forgotten how many ports she had been to, running around and checking the number of each of the ships.

Despite everything, she ran, hoping for that chance in which her brother hadn't left yet, and she may still prevent him from leaving.

When she reached her destination, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing at port no. 52.

Except for a long, long intersection line between the sky and the sea.

And a dot on this line, which may or may not be the ship.

On which is her brother.

In the distant, a clock sounded six times, signaling the lateness of her arrival.

The vibrations moved from her ears, to her neck, to her entire body. Tensed shoulders slumped down, knees buckled, as she held onto the rails for support.

Once it started to crack, you can't stop it from crumbling. That's how an act works.

She broke down into tears.

That cold, familiar, bitter, saddening feeling stinging her heart surfaced in some dark, deep corner of her heart again, spreading to every part of her body, consuming her.

Oh, how familiar it was… At the time when she left Tokyo 15 years ago, at the time when her brother had left her alone, every time when she had to leave a town, the feeling had been there, haunting her…

She could recognize it now… It was loneliness.

"Please don't go… Come back…" She choked out.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo ran, for reasons not yet known to himself.

He couldn't care less about what happens to the girl, so why was he running? He did not know.

But he ran anyway.

He felt a stuffy, heavy feeling in his throat, in his stomach. _What is this? Why am I feeling this? _

He had reached Port number 52.

There was nothing at the port, except for one striking figure at the rails. She was crying gut-wrenchingly, sobbing heavily, letting out the frustrations and sadness accumulated over the past twenty-four years.

"Please don't go... Come back…" He heard her choke out.

He wanted to hold her in his arms, suddenly, he realized. He took a few steps forward, his hands reaching out for her shaking frame.

_But I hate her! I don't care about her! I shouldn't want to hold her! _His mind reasoned with himself. He halted, and his arms retracted.

Hearing footsteps, the girl turned around.

How she reacted was astonishing, in Ichigo's eyes.

She smiled.

Feebly, unconvincingly, she pulled the corners of her lips up, and said, so fakely cheerfully, "Oh, Kurosaki-kun! Why are you here?" She miraculously stopped crying, but her sentence was interrupted by many hiccups.

_She looks terrible with that smile on her face. _Ichigo decided. At that moment, Ichigo threw away all of his inhibitions, restrictions, disbeliefs. He threw his hands as tightly as he could around the girl, hold her in a suffocating embrace.

The girl thrashed in his hold, pushing him away, struggling, but he held her firm. Soon, she started sobbing again.

Seeing that terrible, gut wrenching smile, Ichigo couldn't lie to himself anymore.

He didn't hate her.

He was worried to death about her.

He cares for her.

_Oh, who am I kidding. _Ichigo mumbled in his mind. _I am falling for her. _

* * *

In the warmth and security of ichigo's embrace, Inoue Orihime fell asleep.

Ichigo picked her up gently, bridal-style, and carried her to his car.

He drove, and at the red light, Orihime suddenly latched onto his side in her sleep, refusing to let go.

"Don't..." She whispered.

Somehow, Ichigo felt oddly content.

* * *

Inoue Orihime was dreaming.

_**I can't let them catch me.**__ Inoue Orihime thought, running. Ropes, shackles, handcuffs,… All types of restraints with ribbons attached were flying after her, chasing her. She was already wearing a bracelet, a handcuff, and a golden ring._

_The golden ring was quickly crumbling, breaking itself into pieces. The ribbon attached to it was thinning at a quick pace._

_**Don't disappear… **__Orihime held onto the pieces of the ring. __**Don't leave me all by myself… **_

_Suddenly, another handcuff reached her hand, automatically fixing itself around her wrist. With the handcuff around her wrist, Orihime kept running. __**I'll have to do something about this later. **__She reminded herself._

_**I have to go someday. At the time when I have to break them all off when I leave, it will definitely hurt. **_

_The thought surfaced in Orihime's mind…_

_**I don't want to hurt anymore. **_

_**So I won't let any one of them catch me. There hasn't been a single one of them I can't dissolve and get rid of. Not now, not ever. **_

_**They're getting close. **__Orihime realized, as the noise of the fluttering behind her got louder. __**How foolish I was to forget that I have to run away.**_

_**I must go sooner or later anyway. **_

_**No point in leaving them here if the nice stuff they bring will only hurt me a thousand times worse later. **_

_**First one to go has to be this. **__Orihime glanced at her handcuff._

_The words "Kurosaki Ichigo" were carved onto it. _

_**Don't hold onto me… Or I can't go.**_

* * *

There! Both Ichigo and Orihime have their shares of thoughts.

Please please review…

**bleachbabe03: **Thank you! I hope you like this one too.

**alice hattercandy: **Thank you so much! I'll admit they're kinda short… But this one and the last are a bit longer, ne?

**LunarStar77: **Well, I just say he still has a few further roles in the story. Maybe he'll be a ghost… But this is not a supernatural story.

**Blitchie: **Sorry, it's taking so long… An it's so short… Hope this can help relieve pressure from your exams… Good luck!

**Lunar Iris: **Well this chapter doesn't deal with Renji, or Rukia. It's purely Ichihime-ness… Oh, and on the reporter thing… There're people who're worse than them.

**x-Arteest: **Thank you! It will be rougher, I assure you… Mwahahaha…


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